The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has levied a further fine for underage gambling and placed seven additional adults on the state’s exclusion register, as the regulator’s board unanimously voted to renew the licence of Valley Forge Casino Resort.
The former follows an approved consent agreement between the Office of Enforcement Counsel and Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment, operator of Parx Casino that saw a $10,000 issued.
This came as a result of casino staff permitting an 18-year-old to enter the venue’s gaming floor and gamble at a table game, an act prohibited by state law that stipulates all individuals under the age of 21 should be prohibited.
“It is the responsibility of casino personnel to verify the age of an individual accessing its casino and engaging in gaming activities,” the PGCB noted.
Furthermore, the board has also acted on a number of OEC petitions to ban seven adults from all casinos in the Commonwealth for leaving a total of 13 children unattended in order to gamble, in what is the latest such action for similar violations.
This saw children between the ages of one and 15 left for between six minutes and seven hours at the three facilities of Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack, Valley Forge Casino Resort and Presque Isle Downs & Casino.
“The board’s actions serve as a reminder that adults are prohibited from leaving minors unattended in the parking lot or garage, a hotel, or other venues at a casino since it creates a potentially unsafe and dangerous environment for the children,” the regulator added.
“Leaving minors unattended at a Pennsylvania casino subjects the offending adult to criminal prosecution in addition to exclusion from all Pennsylvania casinos.”
Moreover, in renewing the licence of Montgomery County’s Valley Forge, the Keystone State regulator noted that the operator had fulfilled the obligations under its previously approved certification and therefore qualified for an additional five-year period.
Since its opening in March 2012, Valley Forge Casino Resort has generated $2.04bn in gross revenue from the play of slot machines, table games, igaming and sports wagering resulting in a return to the Commonwealth of approximately $807m in tax revenue.
The venue currently operates 850 slot machines, 50 table games, along with FanDuel retail and online sportsbooks, and FanDuel and Stardust igaming sites.