Casino Fines Totaling $165,000 Approved By the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board

HARRISBURG, PA: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today levied fines totaling $165,000 against three casinos for violations.

The fines were the result of Board approvals at its public meeting of consent agreements between the PGCB’s Office of Enforcement Counsel and:

· SugarHouse HSP Gaming, LP., operator of the SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia, which was fined $100,000 for five instances of failing to prevent underage gambling involving 10 persons under the age of 21;

· Sands Bethworks Gaming, LLC., operator of the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem in Northampton County, which was fined $50,000 for four instances of failing to prevent underage gambling involving five persons under the age of 21; and,

· IOC-PA, LLC, management company for Woodlands Fayette, LLC which operates Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin in Fayette County, which was fined $15,000 for a failure to have internal controls and audit protocols for training and educating marketing staff regarding political contribution restrictions.

Details

The fine approved against SugarHouse HSP Gaming, LP was for the following incidents in which persons under the age of 21 were permitted to gain access to the gaming floor:

Two 19-year-old males gained access onto the gaming floor and wagered at table games;
Three 18-year-old males gained access onto the gaming floor and wagered at table games and consumed alcohol;
A 15-year-old female gained access onto the gaming floor and wagered on slot machines;
Three males ages 18, 19 and 20-years-old gained access onto the gaming floor and wagered at table games and consumed alcohol; and,
A 20-year-old male gained access to the gaming floor and wagered at table games and consumed alcohol.

The fine approved against Sands Bethworks Gaming, LLC was for the following incidents in which persons under the age of 21 were permitted to gain access to the gaming floor:

A 19-year-old male gained access onto the gaming floor where he wagered at slot machines and consumed alcohol;
A 20-year-old female gained access onto the gaming floor and wagered on slot machines;
Two males, aged 19 and 20-years-old, gained access onto the gaming floor and wagered at slot machines; and,
A 20-year-old male gained access onto the gaming floor and wagered on slot machines.

The fine against IOC-PA, LLC stemmed from a failure of its internal controls and audit protocols to prevent marketing consisting of match play coupons and drink vouchers that were made available at a golf club when a political fundraiser was being held.

The next meeting of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is scheduled for 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, February 1, 2017 in the PGCB’s Public Hearing Room located on the second floor of Strawberry Square in Harrisburg.

About the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board:

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board was established in 2004 and is tasked to oversee all aspects of the state’s casino industry. There are 10 stand-alone and racetrack casinos in operation, along with the two smaller resort casinos. These facilities collectively employ 18,000 people and annually generate approximately $1.4 billion in tax revenue from slot machine and table games play. The largest portion of that money is used for property tax reduction to all Pennsylvania homeowners.

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