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Two self-excluded gamblers lost jackpot winnings at Pennsylvania retail casinos earlier this week after violating the terms of the state’s self-exclusion program.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board confirmed that Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course and Parx Casino each retained the players’ winnings after identifying them as participants in the state’s self-exclusion program.
The jackpot amounts each hit were not disclosed.
Procedures ‘worked’ in both cases
Not all visitors are carded at the entrance, especially those that look of-age to gamble. PGCB Director of Communications Doug Harbach told PlayPennsylvania that each property did its job to collect the winnings.
“There are upwards of 20,000 persons at any time on the casino self-exclusion list. While many are visually identified or identified via presentation of photo identification, many also make it onto the gaming floor and gamble.
“That occurred in this case, and the procedures in place to identify a self-excluded person after entry worked, with Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course personnel successfully retaining the awarding of a prize that the woman was no longer entitled to.”
Each individual received a trespassing citation, which is a consequence for entering a retail property as a self-excluded person.
The forfeited money goes to the PGCB to fund responsible gambling and addiction causes.
How self-exclusion works
Individuals in Pennsylvania can choose to put themselves on the self-exclusion list to manage gambling habits. They can choose one year, five years, or a lifetime ban.
Those who opt for a lifetime ban need to petition the PGCB for removal. The state offers the following self-exclusion lists:
- Retail properties
- Interactive gambling
- Video gaming terminals
- Fantasy contests
According to the 2025 Pennsylvania Interactive Gaming Assessment: Online Gambling Report, there were 4,403 new self-excluded enrollments during the 2024/2025 fiscal period. It was a nearly 65% increase in the number of self-exclusions over the 2023/2024 period
The incidents at Hollywood Casino and Parx serve as a reminder that self-exclusion is more than a voluntary cooling-off period. Violating the ban can result in lost winnings, trespassing citations, and forfeiture of any jackpot prizes.
