The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PCGB) fined Downs Racing and Washington Trotting Association for regulatory violations. They approved the penalties during a recent meeting of the board.

Why did the casinos receive fines?

Downs Racing will now pay $110,000 for violating rules related to underage gambling. The regulator cited four incidents of people under 21 years of age using the gaming area in the casino. It is a subsidiary of Mohegan Sun Pocono based in Luzerne County. The Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment subsidiary received a $150,000 fine for inadequate staffing for security for a period of 3 months in October.

The four incidents that gave rise to a fine happened at its property in Wilkes-Barre. In the first instance, a 17-year-old boy was allowed to access the gaming floor. He wagered at slot machines and even went on to bet at a table game. In the second instance, an 18-year-old girl was allowed to access the gaming floor and bet at table games. A 19-year-old girl could access the gaming floor and the table games while another 19-year-old boy was given access to the gaming floor on seven straight days. He even gambled at table games, and slot machines were issued a players’ card and were served alcohol as well.

The Mohegan Sun Pocono was sanctioned in September 2018 as well because of its failure to stop serving alcohol to visibly intoxicated players. The destination resort also allowed such patrons to continue to play games at their premises. It paid a $50,000 fine for the same.

Smaller fines

The Washington Trotting Association will pay a smaller sum of $10,000 for letting its staff operate with lapsed gaming licenses. The regulator found casino workers using expired licenses twice. It operates the Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Washington County.

The fines come after the consent agreements held between the two operators and the Harrisburg PGCB Office of Enforcement Counsel. They will hold the next meeting of the PGCB on November 20. An October report by the board suggests that gaming activity in the state has exploded in September.

It noted that September online and retail sportsbook revenue cross $14.8 million, marketing a 143.5% growth over August figures. In the previous month, the revenue was only $6.1 million. The online wagering figures for the month of September were 78.4% higher than August. The figures for the month of October are yet to be released.