Pennsylvania Casino Fined $40,000 For Underage Gambling

Hollywood Casino at Penn National was slapped with a $40,000 fine by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Wednesday for three instances of underage gambling.

The incidents involving individuals as young as 17 occurred on three different days between July 2021 and June 2022, according to a consent agreement between the state regulator and the PENN Entertainment-owned casino that was outlined at the board’s monthly meeting.

In each case, the underage individuals passed checkpoints at entrances without security staff making sure they had proper identification proving they were at least 21 years old. They were able to play slot machines for between six and 13 minutes before eventually being identified as underage, charged by police, and evicted from the casino in suburban Harrisburg.

Hollywood Casino at Penn National representatives said disciplinary action had been taken against security staff members who were involved, as part of steps to ensure “we’re doing everything in our power to make sure this never happens again.”

In a separate consent agreement, slot manufacturer Lightning Gaming Inc. was fined $5,000 for failure to notify the board as required of changes in the company’s financial status.

Also, as part of an ongoing campaign directed at adults who visit casinos while leaving children unattended in cars or nearby, the board placed four more individuals on its involuntary exclusion list for committing that infraction.