Pennsylvania casinos and online betting sites are now off-limits to twenty-two individuals, following a recent decision by the state’s Gaming Control Board. These individuals have been added to various Involuntary Exclusion Lists, effectively barring them from all forms of regulated gambling within the state.
The sweeping ban extends beyond traditional casinos, encompassing online platforms and Video Gaming Terminal (VGT) locations. Once placed on these lists, access to any regulated gambling activity is revoked, a serious consequence for those involved.
A particularly disturbing element of this latest action involves five adults accused of a grave lapse in judgment: leaving their children unattended while pursuing their gambling habits. The Board takes these cases with utmost seriousness, prioritizing the safety and well-being of minors.
One case detailed a woman who abandoned two young children, ages eight and nine, in a hotel room for an astonishing seven hours and forty-one minutes while she played table games. The sheer duration of this abandonment is deeply unsettling.
Another woman allegedly left three children – aged two, six, and twelve – confined in a vehicle in the casino parking lot for twenty-nine minutes, all while she chased wins at slot machines and table games. The vulnerability of these young children is profoundly concerning.
Further investigations revealed a pattern of similar neglect. A ten-year-old was left alone in a hotel room for over three hours, another in a casino bus lobby for seventeen minutes, and a nine-year-old was left unattended in a parked car for twenty-three minutes – all while their mothers gambled.
Beyond these cases of parental neglect, twelve individuals were added to the Casino Exclusion List, and five more to the Interactive Exclusion List. These additions stem from allegations of fraudulent activity on iGaming and sports wagering sites.
The Board’s decisive action brings the total number of individuals on all Involuntary Exclusion Lists to a significant 1,491. This growing number underscores the Board’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of the state’s gambling industry and protecting vulnerable individuals.
