Mount Airy Casino fined after kids ages 11 and 13 gambled, state says
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Children and teens — ranging from 11 to 18 years old — were found gambling on the gaming floor of Mount Airy Casino Resort, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
The board approved Wednesday a consent agreement during its public meeting, resulting in a $160,000 fine for the Mount Pocono, Monroe County-based gaming operator. The agreement followed negotiations between the Office of Enforcement Counsel and Mount Airy No. 1 LLC, the resort’s operator.
The board claims there were three incidents, in which individuals under the legal gambling age of 21 gained access onto the casino floor and gambled:
- An 18-year-old man who gambled at two different slot machines.
- An 11-year-old girl who gambled at 10 different slot machines while both parents were present with her and cashed two vouchers.
- Two 13-year-old girls who gambled at slot machines with their mother.
Additionally, Mount Airy No. 1 LLC received a second fine of $100,825, stemming from the operator’s failure to timely file a total of 32 corporate or individual renewal applications by the statutorily mandated due dates, the board said. The failure to gain re-licensing of one individual led to the failure to meet a mandated condition connected to Mount Airy No. 1 LLC’s slot machine license, according to the board.
A representative of Brownstein, the public relations firm handling Mount Airy Casino Resort, did not immediately return a message for comment, nor did representatives for the casino.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is tasked in overseeing all aspects of gambling involving 16 land-based casinos; online casino games; retail and online sports wagering; and Video Gaming Terminals (VGTs) at qualified truck stops; along with the regulation of online fantasy sports contests.
Pennsylvania’s land-based casino industry includes six racetrack (Category 1) casinos; five stand-alone (Category 2) casinos; two resort (Category 3) casinos; and three mini-casinos (Category 4). Casino expansion is expected to result in two more Category 4 casinos in the next couple years.
A significant job generator, Pennsylvania’s gambling industry generated more than $2 billion in tax revenue during the 2021-22 state fiscal year.
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Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.
