PRESS RELEASE

HARRISBURG, PA: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today placed six adults who left children unattended at a casino on the PGCB’s Involuntary Exclusion List that prohibits individuals from entering and gambling at all Pennsylvania casinos. Additionally, offenders may also face criminal prosecution for endangering the welfare of a child or children. 

DETAILS OF INCIDENTS

• The father of an 8-year-old child was placed on the Involuntary Exclusion List after leaving her unattended in the lobby of a casino. The girl was unattended for 15 minutes while the adult placed sports wagers;
• The uncle of a 10-year-old child was placed on the Involuntary Exclusion List after casino staff found him alone in a vehicle in the parking lot. The boy was unattended for 8 minutes while the adult placed sports wagers;
• The father of a 10-year-old child was placed on the Involuntary Exclusion List after leaving him in a vehicle in the parking lot. The boy was unattended for six hours while the adult gamed in the casino;
• The father of three children, ages 3, 5 and 12, was placed on the Involuntary Exclusion List after leaving them in a vehicle in the parking lot. The children were left unattended for 43 minutes while the adult placed sports wagers;
• The mother of three children, ages 3, 4 and 12, was placed on the Involuntary Exclusion List after leaving them in a casino hotel room. The children were left unattended for 94 minutes while the adult gamed in the casino; and,
• The mother of two children, ages 11 months and 2-years-old, was placed on the Involuntary Exclusion List after leaving them in a vehicle in the parking lot. The children were left unattended for 9 minutes while the adult played a slot machine and cashed out.

In making these decisions regarding the six adults, the Board reminds the gambling public that adults are prohibited from leaving minors unattended in the parking lot or garage, a hotel, or other venue at a casino since it creates a potentially unsafe and dangerous environment for the children.  Leaving minors unattended at a Pennsylvania casino subjects the offending adult to criminal prosecution in addition to permanent exclusion from all Pennsylvania casinos. 

The next meeting of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is scheduled for 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, July 20, 2022 in the PGCB’s Public Hearing Room located on the second floor of the Strawberry Square Complex in Harrisburg.

About the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is tasked to oversee all aspects of gambling involving 16 land-based casinos, online casino games, retail and online sports wagering, and Video Gaming Terminals (VGTs) at qualified truck stops, along with the regulation of online fantasy sports contests.

The land-based casino industry in Pennsylvania consists of six racetrack (Category 1) casinos, five stand-alone (Category 2) casinos, two resort (Category 3) casinos and three mini-casinos (Category 4).  Casino expansion will continue over the next couple of years with the anticipated openings of up to two additional Category 4 casinos. A significant job generator in the Commonwealth, casinos and the other types of Board-regulated gaming is expected to generate over $2 billion in tax revenue during the 2021/2022 State Fiscal Year.

Additional information about both the PGCB’s gaming regulatory efforts and Pennsylvania’s gaming industry can be found at https://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov. You can also follow the agency on Twitter by choosing @PAGamingControl.