The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board issued a six-figure fine to Wind Creek Casino for allowing multiple underage players onto the gaming floor from 2021 to 2023.
The PGCB penalized Wind Creek Casino $125,000 for 10 incidents, involving 11 underage players, that included three violations:
- Access
- Gaming
- Alcohol service
Wind Creek Casino is expected to pay the fine within five days of the PGCB’s order. This is the 11th time Wind Creek has been fined for allowing underaged gamblers onto the gaming floor, totaling $825,000.
Details on incidents involving underage players at Wind Creek Casino
The 10 underage violations Wind Creek committed dates all the way back to November 2021 until September 2023. The PGCB detailed each incident during its monthly meeting on Wednesday.
One occurrence included alcohol service to an underage individual in April 2022. The individual gained access to the gaming floor through the main entrance, using fake identification. The person spent approximately one hour, and eight minutes on the gaming floor, but did not gamble.
However, the person was served a mixed drink at the Coil Bar inside Wind Creek Casino. She was found out after she dropped her real identification in the property, where an unknown person picked it up and turned it in.
In June 2022, the casino identified two patrons as underage after gaining access to the gaming floor. The two individuals entered through the property’s bus entrance without being stopped by security. The pair gambled at slot machines for approximately 38 minutes.
On Jan. 1, 2023, a 19-year-old individual used real identification of another person, who was 41-years-old, and was granted access to the floor by security personnel. She also consumed an alcoholic beverage and gamed for around one hour and 20 minutes.
Seven more similar incidents occurred at Wind Creek Casino, the last of which in July 2023.
Wind Creek addresses PGCB regarding multiple failures
Wind Creek had the opportunity to address the PGCB at Wednesday’s meeting. Three executives present included:
- Mike Magazzu: Executive Director of Compliance and Risk Management
- Glen Granitz: Director of Security
- Patrick Ryan: General Manager
The property agreed with the PGCB’s Office of Enforcement Council and accepted the consent agreement.
Specifically, Wind Creek admitted to technology issues that have allowed patrons with fake or false identification to enter the gaming floor. However, Maggazu told the PGCB that Wind Creek is currently upgrading its system with an interesting feature that will tip off the casino of false ID, which is when a patron has real identification of someone else.
“One way we’re trying to attack the use of a false ID is, for example, who that ID belongs to enters the casino and then exits the casino, once that person passes that ID to someone else who then uses it… [Our security technology] has included a feature where we would get an alert if that same ID is used a second time within a certain time period, Magguzo said.
“We believe that will help us further cut down on these types of incidents.”
Despite the amount of occurrences, Wind Creek representatives said they are not concerned. And, they told the PGCB that trends of underage patrons accessing the gaming floor has decreased over the last seven to 10 years.
Wind Creek is up for a renewal license next month. PGCB Chair, Denise Smyler, told the three executives that the security issue will come up again at that hearing.