Shifts in Leadership and Impending Developments
Leaving Children Unattended at Casinos in Pennsylvania Leads to Lifetime Ban
In a bid to ensure the safety and well-being of children, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has taken a firm stance against leaving minors unattended at casinos. This policy is part of the PGCB’s "Don’t Gamble With Kids" campaign, aimed at preventing child endangerment at gaming venues.
Scott Lokke, who previously served as Senior Vice President and General Manager at Jack Cleveland Casino in Ohio, has been appointed as the new CEO of Rivers Casino Philadelphia. This move comes as the casino finds itself under increased regulatory scrutiny.
Leaving minors unattended in a casino parking lot, garage, hotel, or other venues can create a potentially unsafe and dangerous environment for children. The PGCB strictly prohibits this, and adults found violating these regulations face serious consequences.
Examples of such enforcement actions include a male patron who left his three-year-old child unattended in a parking lot for four minutes, receiving a lifetime ban. A couple who left a five-year-old child unattended in a non-running vehicle for 50 minutes inside Parx Casino were also excluded. A woman who left two minors unattended in a hotel room at Hollywood Casino at the Meadows for over seven hours was banned from all casinos under PGCB jurisdiction.
These enforcement actions highlight that leaving children unattended anywhere on casino property or associated areas is considered misconduct and is met with involuntary exclusion from all PGCB-regulated facilities and platforms. The PGCB continues to publicly emphasize this stance and promotes awareness to protect children from harm and neglect in these environments.
The PGCB's focus is on both in-person and digital compliance enforcement to uphold the integrity of gaming in the state and protect public interest, particularly where it concerns vulnerable populations such as minors. The gaming industry in Pennsylvania includes land-based casinos, online platforms, and sports betting operators. The PGCB continues to meet regularly to address compliance and enforcement matters in the expanding gaming industry of Pennsylvania.
It's important to note that no exceptions or allowances for brief absences have been reported; even short periods of leaving children unattended have resulted in bans. The PGCB's ongoing public awareness campaign, "Don’t Gamble with Kids," aims to deter adults from leaving minors unattended while gambling, with legal consequences for such actions.
The PGCB has also taken actions against individuals engaging in fraudulent activity related to online gambling. The PGCB continues to work tirelessly to ensure the safety and integrity of gaming in Pennsylvania.
[1] Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Press Release, "PGCB Excludes Individuals for Leaving Minors Unattended," 12 March 2019. [2] Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Press Release, "PGCB Excludes Individual for Leaving Minors Unattended," 23 April 2019. [3] Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Press Release, "PGCB Excludes Individual for Leaving Minors Unattended," 1 July 2019.
- News of casino-related enforcement actions have been reported by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), such as the lifetime ban given to an individual who left a three-year-old child unattended in a casino parking lot.
- The PGCB is also taking action against individuals who engage in fraudulent activity related to online casino-games and sports-betting platforms.
- Scott Lokke, a well-known figure in casino-culture, has recently been appointed as the CEO of Rivers Casino Philadelphia.
- The PGCB's regular meetings aim to address compliance and enforcement matters in the expanding casino-and-gambling industry of Pennsylvania, which includes both land-based casinos and online gambling platforms, as well as sports-betting operators.
- Despite the PGCB's general-news releases emphasizing no exceptions for brief absences, even short periods of leaving children unattended have resulted in bans, as per the "Don’t Gamble with Kids" campaign.
