Casino Fined $26,000 By Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board For Permitting Underage Gambling
HARRISBURG, PA: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today levied a $26,000 fine against Harrah’s Chester Downs and Marina, LLC, operator of Harrah’s Chester Casino and Racetrack, for allowing an underage patron to gamble at their facility.
The fine was the result of a consent agreement between the PGCB’s Office of Enforcement Counsel and the Delaware County casino, and was imposed for a violation of sections of the Gaming Act that prohibit individuals under the age of 21 to gain access to the gaming floor and gamble.
The incident occurred November 8, 2010 in which a casino security officer, who was later terminated, permitted a 19-year-old male to enter Harrah’s gaming floor. The underage patron then played blackjack at several tables for 90 minutes. It was later discovered that the individual was under 21 when he attempted to obtain a player’s card.
This was the second consent agreement between the PGCB and Harrah’s involving underage gaming since the casino obtained its license renewal in October 2009. That fine occurred in October 2010 for seven incidents, all involving slot machines , and resulting in fines of $70,000.
About the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board:
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board was established in 2004 with the passage of Act 71, also known as the Race Horse Development and Gaming Act. Pennsylvania’s first new state agency in nearly 40 years, the Gaming Control Board is tasked to oversee all aspects of the state’s casino industry. Currently, the ten casinos in operation in the Commonwealth employ over 14,000 people and legalized gaming has generated over $5.1 billion in tax and license fee revenue since the first casino opened in November 2006. A portion of that money is enabling property tax reduction for all Pennsylvania homeowners, providing needed funding to the Commonwealth’s horse racing industry, funding grants for fire companies and water/sewer projects, and establishing a new stream of tax revenue to local governments for community projects. A wealth of information about the Gaming Control Board and Pennsylvania’s gaming industry can be found at www.pgcb.state.pa.us. At this web site, visitors can view videos of Board meetings and on the operation of the PGCB, obtain information on identifying a gambling problem and gaining assistance, look up future meeting schedules and past meeting transcripts, access an interactive map of casino locations, request a speaker for their group, along with much more information.
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