A tragic accident comes with a stiff penalty for Mount Airy Casino. Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) fined the property $250,000 as a result of a fatal DUI accident.
In February of 2018, a patron at the casino hit a woman jogging near the casino early in the morning, killing her. Police arrested the driver, Marc Graves, charging him with both DUI and homicide. In October, Graves pleaded guilty to homicide by vehicle. He will serve 3-6 years.
Mount Airy held responsible for incident too
Graves took responsibility for his actions, but the casino is being held liable too.
He arrived at Mount Airy at 10 p.m. Graves initially told authorities he had three mixed drinks and a shot. It is unclear if that is the truth. The reason the casino does not know is because it did not install a drink tracking system.
Moreover, property reps testified in 2017 that such a system was going to launch within two weeks, with staffers all getting training on how it works.
Mount Airy never implemented such a system though. As a result, PGCB levied the six-figure fine.
Mount Airy also fined for underage gaming in December
This is the second hefty fine in three months for the Pennsylvania casino. In December, Mount Airy had to cough up $170,000 in fines. PGCB imposed that figure after 17 incidents where minors were able to gamble on the property. The incidents date back to 2016. The list includes a number of underage people on the gaming floor, including one 12-year old girl.
There were also several incidents where minors managed to both gamble and consume alcohol. One youngster even managed to get a player’s card issued in his name.
Casino needs to beef up security and protections
Large fines are not the only reason Mount Airy should be concerned. With these numerous underage gaming violations and the DUI fatality, the casino is getting a reputation for playing fast and loose with the rules.
There are several casinos that are not great when it comes to tracking underage gamblers. In December, Hollywood Casino also got fined for four incidents of underage gambling. Moreover, Sands Bethlehem has repeatedly racked up numerous fines for underage violations.
This is a good time to remind everyone that, when it comes to tracking player activity, online casinos are actually much more successful than brick and mortar properties. Identity verification uses a piece of your Social Security Number to determine your age. New Jersey only recently discovered the first documented instance of underage gambling in five years of activity.
