1-year-old left in hot car: The latest Pennsylvania casino lifetime bans
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — More people have been banned for life from all Pennsylvania casinos for allegedly leaving children in vehicles so they could go inside and gamble.
In November’s meeting, the PA Gaming Control Board approved the lifetime ban of four, three of which left children — including a 1-year-old while it was 84 degrees outside — in their vehicles so they could gamble inside of a casino.
While the Gaming Board never releases names, these four incidents were cited for the lifetime bans of the four people (Two men and two women):
- A man was placed on the Involuntary Exclusion List after leaving a 1-year-old child unattended in a locked vehicle with an outside temperature of 84 degrees in the parking lot of Valley Forge Casino Resort in Montgomery County for 9 minutes to gamble in the sportsbook and at a table game. Pennsylvania State Police broke a car window to extract the child and the patron later attempted to flee in the vehicle, which contained illegal drugs, until police detained and removed him
- A man was placed on the Involuntary Exclusion List after leaving two minors, aged 6 and 8, unattended in a vehicle in the parking lot of Live! Casino Pittsburgh in Westmoreland County for 13 minutes while he gambled at slot machines;
- A woman was placed on the Involuntary Exclusion List after leaving two minors, aged 10 and 13, unattended in a vehicle in the parking garage of Live! Casino Philadelphia for 24 minutes while she gambled at slot machines
- A woman was placed on the Involuntary Exclusion List after leaving a 13-year-old unattended in the Sky Bridge hallway of Mohegan Pennsylvania Casino for 10 minutes while she gambled at slot machines
Not only can leaving children unattended bring along a lifetime ban, but it’s also illegal and you could face prosecution from law enforcement.
In addition to the bans, the Gaming Board also levied $45,000 in fines.
- Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association, LLC, operator of Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in Dauphin County, a $40,000 fine for three instances in which individuals under the age of 21 accessed the gaming floor and gambled
- Lightning Gaming, Inc., a licensed Slot Machine Manufacturer headquartered in Delaware County, PA, a $5,000 fine for failure to notify the Board of material changes to their financial status
The next meeting of the Gaming Board is set for 10 a.m., Wednesday, Dec.13, in the board’s Public Hearing Room located on the second floor of the Strawberry Square Complex in Harrisburg.
