The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has handed a $10,000 penalty to the Hollywood Casino at The Meadows for allowing a self-excluded individual, initialed DW, to game on the floor in February 2022.
Cage cashiers at the casino did not thoroughly check to see if the patron was self-excluded. Therefore, she made multiple transactions on the gaming floor.
Director of Compliance, Alex Hvizda, and VP and general manager, Matthew Heiskell, each addressed the PGCB during its monthly meeting on Wednesday.
Self-excluded patron gamed at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows for nearly two hours
A self-excluded individual from all Pennsylvania casinos visited Hollywood Casino at The Meadows and played 48 slot machines. She visited the cash cage three times, too.
The patron placed herself on the list just a couple days before visiting the property. The cashiers did not check the status because she was a regular visitor.
During DW’s first encounter with the cash cage, she cashed an echeck worth $300. DW went back to the same cashier and provided identification after cashing another $300 echeck. The cashier failed to realize DW had placed herself on the self-exclusion list.
DW made a third trip to the cage, however, with a different cashier, where she was identified as self-excluded.
Police and security were notified as DW left the casino without her identification. She later returned an hour later, and was charged with defiant trespassing.
How does Hollywood Casino at The Meadows prevent further incidents?
Hollywood Casino at The Meadows issued a final written warning to the cage cashier who facilitated DW’s first two transactions.
“We take this very seriously, in that we took a skip step, all the way to a final written warning,” Vista explained in front of the PGCB. “Our commitment to responsible gaming isn’t just doing the training once a year, reminders during Compulsive Problem Gambling Month, or Responsible Gambling Education Month.
“We also quarterly, randomly select employees and do a pop quiz to make sure they know what they’re supposed to do.”
DW placed herself on the PGCB’s self-exclusion list days before entering the casino. Since she was a regular customer, the cage cashier was not thorough.
“Complacency is our biggest enemy,” Hvizda said.
Hollywood Casino at The Meadows issued a read and sign for all cash cage employees as a reminder to not skip steps when checking identification, even for regulars.
Roundup of March consent agreements filed by PGCB
The PGCB also fined two PA online sportsbooks $10,000 each for the following violations last month:
- Betway Sportsbook fined for offering unapproved college prop bets
- DraftKings fined for permitting Pennsylvania players to access its Reignmakers fantasy contests after the PGCB had ordered the contests be made unavailable in the Commonwealth
College prop betting has been a topic of discussion over the past month or so. Pennsylvania does not offer markets for props in college sports, unlike Michigan.
The PGCB eliminated DraftKings’ Reignmakers game back in October 2022, and has not gained approval since to re-launch in the Keystone State.
