The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board added 11 people to its involuntary exclusion lists, barring them from gambling at casinos, on state-regulated online betting sites and at video gaming terminal locations in the state. The action lifted the total number of people on the board’s various exclusion lists to 1,499.
According to the board’s press release, the cases included two adults who left young children unattended while they gambled. One woman left a 1-year-old in a vehicle in the Parx Casino parking lot for 2 hours and 41 minutes, with the outside temperature at 80 degrees, while she played slot machines.
A separate case involved a man who left a 10-year-old in a vehicle in the Hollywood Casino York parking lot for 18 minutes while he gambled in the sportsbook. The board said its actions are meant to remind adults that minors may not be left alone in a parking lot, garage, hotel or other areas of a casino.
The board said such conduct can create a potentially unsafe and dangerous environment for children. It has also created an awareness campaign, “Don’t Gamble with Kids”, at DontGamblewithKids.org, to complement casino efforts to address the problem.
One man was also placed on the casino exclusion list after he was found with 28 counterfeit $50 bills, some of which he used at table games. In addition to the child-related cases, five other people were placed on the Involuntary Casino Exclusion List, while three more were placed on both the casino and interactive gaming exclusion lists for other actions.
The board said the various exclusion lists prohibit people from gambling in Pennsylvania casinos, using online betting sites regulated by the board and visiting VGT locations. It said its next meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 23, in the board’s public hearing room at Strawberry Square.