Summary:
- PGCB hits gaming operators with financial penalties for non-compliance
- Harrah’s Philadelphia was hit with a $35,000 fine over underage gambling
- The casino operator will be downsizing its slots and table games by September
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has taken enforcement action against two operators this week for violating the state’s gambling laws. One of the offenders was Harrah’s Philadelphia which was fined $35,000 by the regulator for allowing underage gambling.
PGCB Sanctions Erring Operators
In a meeting on June 28, the PGCB imposed a $35,000 fine on Harrah’s Philadelphia for violating the state’s rules on underage gambling. The casino operator confirmed that four minors were able to gain access to the venue’s gaming floor on March 19, 2021, two of them managed to play blackjack and slots for a length of time before being detected. Harrah’s admitted to the violation and agreed to pay the penalty.
The other operator hit with a fine was SportsHub PA, a provider of real-money fantasy sports. The firm was slapped with a $13,000 fine by the PGCB for failing to report a change in ownership control of the company within the required timeframe.
At the same meeting, the PGCB added seven more individuals to Pennsylvania’s involuntary exclusion list. They will now be banned from entering gaming venues throughout the state after they were found to have left their children unattended in their vehicles while playing at gambling establishments.
The board also voted to renew the casino license of Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin. Parent company Woodlands Fayette, LLC will now directly oversee the Farmington casino’s operations after ending its management contract with Churchill Downs.
The PGCB also granted iGaming certificates to Golden Nugget Online Gaming which was acquired in 2022 by DraftKings under a $1.56 billion deal. The company is still required to obtain licensing approval from the board before it can start offering online slots and table games to Pennsylvanians.
Harrah’s Philadelphia Reduces Slots
The PGCB meeting on Wednesday also paved the way for the approval of Harrah’s request to reduce the number of slots and table games at its casino. The operator will remove 145 older slot machines and five table games from its gaming floor, reducing its size by around 18,000 square feet. The move is not expected to affect casino revenue and the existing workforce.
Harrah’s Philadelphia senior vice president Zara Alayan confirmed that the downsizing of the gaming floor will be followed by the relocation of Harrah’s sportsbook, with the changes expected to be completed in September, in time for the start of the NFL season.
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