Allowing underage bettors to gamble has earned Parx Casino operator Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment a $10,000 fine by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The board also took it upon itself to sanction bettor parents who leave their children unattended in the parking lot while they go to place a wager.
A Casino Allowed a Minor to Gamble on Slots
Gaming in the state of Pennsylvania is only allowed to people who are above 21. Minors and underage individuals are prohibited to enter an area with slot machines, let alone play. Yet, this is exactly what happened in Bucks County’s Parx Casino where an 18-year old was not only allowed to enter the gaming floor but was given the opportunity to throw a few bets on the slot machines. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board intervened and imposed the aforementioned fee.
If that wasn’t enough, there were more irregularities in the state. The gaming regulator had to deal with three separate cases of irresponsible parents. The said parents had left their children in the car while they had entered the casino to have fun and place a bet. Pennsylvania’s Gaming Control Board refused to disclose which casinos are in question at this time.
The Parents Got Banned from the State’s Casinos
The first case was the most minor of the three. The parent of an 11-year-old had left the kid in the car and went to redeem a sportsbook ticket at the venue. The second case was about a parent who left two kids (one 8-years old and one 5-years old) in the car and went to place some bets at a craps table. The last case is the worst of the bunch as a parent left a total of four children (aged between 2 and 13) unsupervised and went to spectated a friend of theirs who played at a craps table.
The three parents now all face criminal charges for their carelessness. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has also put all of them on its Involuntary Exclusion List, meaning that the parents will be unable to enter and play in all casinos across Pennsylvania.
The regulative body released a statement on the matter. It reminded parents who love gaming to not leave their children unattended in the casino’s parking lot, garage, hotel, or any other nearby venue. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board pointed out that doing so is not only a punishable offense that may also result in a ban from local casinos, but is also a dangerous practice that puts the kids at risk.