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The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) recently approved three consent agreements from its Office of Enforcement Counsel, imposing a collective fine of $282,205 on three operators. BetMGM received the largest portion of this penalty, a total of $260,905.
The operator faced fines after investigations revealed 152 instances in which players on Pennsylvania’s Interactive Self-Exclusion were allowed to place wagers on their online platform. Under the state’s gambling legislation, operators are mandated to restrict users on this list from registering and maintaining gaming accounts.
Two other operators were also penalized for regulatory non-compliance. Stadium Casino Westmoreland RE, LLC, the operator of Live! Casino Pittsburgh was fined $7,500 for using illegal software in 11 slot machines.
Rush Street Gaming, LLC, also saw a $13,800 fine for failing to file a required license renewal application for its chief operating officer.
Several People Excluded from Gambling in Pennslyvania
Beyond operator fines, the PGCB also placed nine individuals on its involuntary self-exclusion list. This included four adults who left children unattended while gambling in various locations across the state.
One notable case involved a male patron at Live! Casino Philadelphia, who left a 12-year-old alone in a vehicle on two occasions, each lasting around 20 minutes, while he gambled at the sportsbook. He was also cited for cheating and trespassing.
Another case involved a woman who left a 12-year-old unsupervised in the busy lobby of Mount Airy Casino Resort for 26 minutes while she played slot machines.
The regulator also reviewed requests for removal from the exclusion list but denied two appeals. One involved a woman who left her 14-month-old child locked in a vehicle for 11 minutes, with outdoor temperatures reaching 88 Fahrenheit. The other involved a man who, in 2022, left five minors, ages between 2 and 13, unattended in a vehicle for 35 minutes for 35 minutes while he gambled at Presque Isle Downs & Casino.
The PGCB once again emphasized the importance of supervising minors and warned violators that they risk being placed on the involuntary exclusion list. Since the list’s inception, 1,280 individuals have been added, with 62 specifically excluded from iGaming activities.
BetMGM Regulatory Troubles Continue to Grow
The last few months have seen BetMGM face regulatory penalties in several US states and even Canada. The operator was fined $2,500 in Indiana last year for allowing a player on the self-exclusion list to place bets, which it blamed on a technical migration error.
BetMGM’s retail sportsbook at MGM Springfield was fined $20,000 by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission last year after it was found to have accepted wagers on prohibited college football games involving in-state teams. Massachusetts gaming laws prohibit betting on local college football teams, except during tournament play.
The operator also got fined $37,401 by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) in 2022 for violating gambling advertisements and promotions laws.
Source: Next.io
