Bethlehem casino patrons barred after leaving 9-year-old unattended in car, state says

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board this week banned four people from casinos statewide for three separate incidents of leaving minors unattended while they engaged in gambling, according to a news release from the agency.

The board announced Wednesday it had approved petitions from its Office of Enforcement Counsel to add the four to the Involuntary Exclusion List. That means they’re permanently banned from entering any casino in the state or they can face a criminal trespassing charge, according to the gaming board.

Two of the four people banned were male and female patrons at Wind Creek Bethlehem, who had left a 9-year-old unattended in a vehicle in the parking garage for an hour and 34 minutes while they gambled at slot machines, the Gaming Control Board said in the release. No date was provided for the alleged incident.

The other incidents happened at Hollywood Casino York and Rivers Casino Pittsburgh, the release states.

Both the Gaming Control Board and Wind Creek Bethlehem have cracked down on minors being left unattended on casino property. Bethlehem’s casino last year announced a mitigation plan to not only deter parents or guardians from leaving kids alone, but for detecting incidents as well.

The gaming board introduced a website, dontgamblewithkids.org, focusing on the consequences of leaving minors unattended at casino properties.

“The Board’s actions serve as a reminder that adults are prohibited from leaving minors unattended in the parking lot or garage, a hotel, or other venues at a casino since it creates a potentially unsafe and dangerous environment for the minor,” this week’s release states. “Leaving minors unattended at a Pennsylvania casino also subjects the offending adult to criminal prosecution in addition to exclusion from all Pennsylvania casinos.”

The gaming board reported tracking 197 incidents of unattended minors through the first seven months of 2022, with that number reduced to 126 incidents in the first seven months of 2023.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board oversees all aspects of gambling involving 17 land-based casinos, online casino games, retail and online sports wagering, and Video Gaming Terminals at qualified truck stops, along with the regulation of online fantasy sports contests. A significant job generator, casinos and the other types of board-regulated gaming generated over $2.3 billion in tax revenue during the fiscal year that ended June 30, according to the release.

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