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McELHATTAN -- The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board this week took actions against three Video Gaming Terminal ("VGT") Establishments -- including one located at Bald Eagle Truck Stop in Wayne Township -- leading to fines totaling $89,500 for two of those and the revocation of its operating license for the other.
The consent agreements were presented by the board's Office of Enforcement Counsel (OEC) and outline the facts about incidents that occurred at two VGT locations, both owned by Raceway Management Company, Inc., which operates convenience stores in Gibson and Lake Ariel. The fines were the result of their failure to have board-certified employees physically present on numerous occasions when VGTs were operational and available to the public.
A fine of $63,500 was levied against the license for its Gibson location and $26,000 on the license for its Lake Ariel location.
Per board regulations, at least one employee who has completed a mandatory training program must be located on the premises and supervising the VGT area at all times when the games are available for play.
Additionally, the board revoked Establishment and Individual Principle licenses for Mann & Sidhu, Inc., operating VGTs at Bald Eagle Truck Stop in McEllhatten.
The board actions, which result in ceasing VGT operations at this location, were taken after violations to maintain suitability:
-- Failure to have a board credentialed employee on duty when the games are available for play.
-- Allowing a minor to be present in the VGT gaming area and placing wagers.
-- Failure to maintain its status as a qualified truck stop establishment by not selling an average of 50,000 gallons of diesel or biodiesel per month over a 12-month period.
The board also took actions this week to place 10 individuals on its various Involuntary Exclusion Lists. Placement on an Involuntary Exclusion List prohibits individuals from either gaming in a casino in Pennsylvania, via an online betting site regulated by the board, or at a Video Gaming Terminal location.
The actions by the board Wednesday include placement of three persons on the casino exclusion list for leaving minors unattended at a casino facility location while they gambled:
-- A female patron who left a 7-year-old in a hotel room at Live! Casino and Hotel Philadelphia for 3 hours 42 minutes while she gambled at table games.
-- A male patron who left two children, ages 6 and 8, in a vehicle in the parking lot at Live! Casino and Hotel Philadelphia for 1 hour 15 minutes while he gambled at table games.
-- A male patron who left a 6-year-old child in a vehicle in the parking lot at Valley Forge Casino Resort for 19 minutes while he gambled on slot machines.
A release from 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.'"
These matters, presented by the board's Office of Chief Counsel and the OEC, raise the number of individuals now on the board's various Involuntary Exclusion Lists to 1,458.