Pennsylvania Gaming Regulators Add Parents to Exclusion List

Summary

• Two eight-year-olds were left alone in separate gambling incidents.
• Since 2011, 134 people have been placed on the exclusion list by the board for such behavior.
• Valley Forge Casino plans to spend $776,000 to help protect children from being left unattended outside casinos.

In the state of Pennsylvania, it is not uncommon for parents to go to a casino and leave their children in the car to gamble. Of course, this is not proper behavior, but it happens in the Keystone State.

The Gaming Control Board continues to take action against such individuals, recently adding two more names to the state’s exclusion list for such behavior. In the past 11 years, the board has placed 134 people on the list for this type of behavior.

Recent Child Endangerment Activity

In the recent cases involving children left outside casinos, a male and female individual were found guilty of such behavior. A male left an eight-year-old inside a vehicle unattended while he went inside the sportsbook of the Rivers Casino Philadelphia.

A female decided to leave an eight-year-old as well in a vehicle, while she went inside the Valley Forge Casino to gamble. Both were added to the Involuntary Exclusion List created by the Board and are unable to enter and gamble inside a casino in Pennsylvania.

Because of the incident, and the number of times children are left inside the car at local casinos, the board and gaming venues are taking action. Since the incident took place at Valley Forge Casino, the property has decided to create a plan to stop minors from being left alone inside vehicles. The casino plans to spend $776,000 on the project.

Do Not Leave Children Unattended

It shouldn’t have to be stated, but it is, time and time again. Children should not be left inside a vehicle unattended while parents go inside to gamble. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board uses cases such as this to remind the public not to do so, in a parking lot or garage, hotel or other property at a casino.

The board does not want to have to prosecute the individual for the action via the local police or ban individuals from gaming, but they will if need be. The board also sees this action as a safety hazard to children. It is important that kids are not left alone in a vehicle where they could be harmed by the environment or by other individuals.

Hopefully, this latest banning will be enough to stop patrons from exhibiting such behavior at casinos. Even if the patron feels they will only be inside a minute, it is not worth the possible harm to the child. Casinos use security cameras on the premises as well as help from security personnel to check for children outside the venue.

Other patrons have also been known to find children outside of casinos and report the incident to the property and police.