After a series of violations committed by the Live! Casino and Hotel Philadelphia in connection with sports wagering, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) imposed a fine of $100,000 on the casino operator Stadium Casino RE, LLC. The penalties came after the board accepted a consent agreement presented by its Office of Enforcement Counsel (OEC) during a public meeting.
Live! Casino Staff Fired and Fined for $287K in Illegal Proxy Bets
The offenses centered on several employees from Live! Casino Sportsbook accepting and placing 15 proxy bets amounting to $287,421 over an eight-day period for a customer who was not physically present at the casino. Prohibited by both casino policy and Pennsylvania state regulations, these proxy wagers were made through phone calls. The Gaming Act of the state also makes it illegal to accept bets from any person other than the one making them.
Three sportsbook staff members engaged in accepting and placing such bets have been fired while their licenses to work for casinos were canceled following this breach. The gambler has been prohibited from gambling again anywhere in Pennsylvania after being put under the involuntary exclusion list which is maintained by PGCB.
PGCB Denies Exclusion List Removals, Emphasizes Child Safety in Casino Environments
Apart from addressing issues related to proxy betting, other regulatory concerns were dealt with by the PGCB during the same meeting. Requests for removal from the Involuntary Exclusion List were denied by the board against two persons who had left children unattended while they gambled. This move was aimed at reinforcing protection measures set up by PGCB towards minors’ welfare as well as responsible gambling initiatives.
The PGCB noted: “Actions such as these to deny statewide gambling privileges 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 children. To complement the efforts by casinos to mitigate this issue, the Board created an awareness campaign, “Don’t Gamble with Kids”.”
Following the regulatory action, Live! Casino and Hotel Philadelphia expressed its commitment towards compliance as well transparency stressing the need for training staff on how to identify and prevent proxy wagering while FanDuel which is a partner to Live! Casino has intensified the frequency of training exercises among workers so that they can ensure strict adherence to the laws.In other news, the PGCB fined Wind Creek Bethlehem $125,000 for allowing underage individuals to gamble on the casino floor.