More Adults Added to Exclusion List in Pennsylvania for Child Neglect

Summary

• Seven adults were excluded from gaming.
• Babies to preteens were among those left unattended.
• Fines were also issued for casinos violating regulations.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has a big problem on its hands that does not seem to be getting any better. Adults across the state continue to leave children unattended, and the punishment of exclusion from casinos does not seem to hinder individuals from this action.

An additional seven adults were banned this week during a Board meeting after leaving children as young as 14 months along to wager.

Nine Children Were Left Alone

It seems that more adults are added to the exclusion list in Pennsylvania every few months for leaving minors in cars to gamble. This week, the Board placed seven more people on the list, banning them from gambling.

A male and female were added after leaving a 14-month-old baby in a car by itself at the Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino. The baby was alone for 14 minutes while the two people went to the casino’s live dealer school and the human resources office. These individuals were not gambling but were employees of the casino. They have since been terminated.

Another male was placed on the list after leaving a six-year-old alone at the Mohegan Sun. This child remained alone for almost 30 minutes while the adult was in the casino sportsbook. A two-year-old was left unattended while a male entered the Valley Forge Casino to gamble. He was only gone for two minutes and could not get inside the casino.

Three Instances at the Rivers Casino Philadelphia

The Rivers Casino was mentioned three times during the meeting, with three males on the list for leaving children alone. The first left a six and eleven-year-old alone in a vehicle for six minutes. The male went to the cashier’s cage.

The next left a three and thirteen-year-old alone for seven minutes while betting in the sportsbook. The final individual left a five and seven-year-old alone in the parking garage to bet on sports for nine minutes.

Parents should not leave minors alone in a parking garage or lot space to go inside a casino. Children should also not be left in other areas, such as a casino hotel, so the parent or adult can gamble. This creates an unsafe environment for the children and could cause irreparable harm.

The act can result in the adult facing criminal prosecution and being banned from all US casinos in the state. From January 2022 to May of this year, 370 incidents have occurred involving just under 600 children. The incidents continue to occur, and it seems that the only way adults may stop leaving children unattended is if the law changes to provide further punishment for the action.