The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board told PlayPennsylvania incidents of leaving minors unattended at PA casinos are dropping. However, the PGCB placed three adults on the Involuntary Exclusion List for that exact offense during Wednesday’s meeting.
The PGCB has remained steadfast in decreasing the number of incidents where adults are leaving minors unattended. For a second straight year, cases are on pace to drop significantly. PGCB Communications Director, Doug Harbach, told PlayPennsylvania on Thursday:
“The casinos continue to prioritize preventing these occurrences and our on-site Gaming Control Board staff closely monitors each situation when they do occur.
“We are also thankful when patrons ‘see something and say something’ to casino personnel when they see a young person alone on a casino property and allow security to respond quickly.”
Unattended children incidents at PA casinos continue to decrease
Harbach provided PlayPennsylvania with data that shows cases are decreasing at a pretty significant clip.
| Year | Incidents | Minors Involved |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 303 | 486 |
| 2023 | 248 | 397 |
| 2024 (through July 31) | 112 | 202 |
The state is on pace for 192 incidents involving 346 minors in 2024. Even though it’s a great sign to see improvement, one incident is still too many.
“While we have seen a drop in the number of incidents over the past two years, the Board remains troubled when adults choose to enter a casino and leave minors unattended,” Harbach said.
“Not only do we urge these casino patrons to refrain from this behavior and likely face consequences such as an arrest or casino ban, but also consider reaching out through the 1-800-GAMBLER phone number or visit responsibleplay.pa.gov for information on detecting a gambling problem and finding the help options available.”
The PGCB and Pennsylvania casinos have made a concerted effort to stop adults from leaving children unattended at Pennsylvania casinos. That includes increase signage, more security and the PCBG’s campaign called “Don’t Gamble With Kids.”
Adults can also be charged criminally for leaving children unattended.
PGCB places 3 on Involuntary Exclusion List
Despite cases decreasing, unfortunately, there are still too many cases happening.
The PGCB reported three incidents that put children in danger and landed adults on the Involuntary Exclusion List:
- A male patron left a 13-year-old unattended in a vehicle while the outside temperature was 92 degrees in the parking lot of Live! Casino Philadelphia for 39 minutes while he gambled in the sportsbook.
- A male patron left two minors of ages 12 and 13 unattended in a running vehicle while the outside temperature was 87 degrees in the parking lot of Live! Casino Philadelphia for 31 minutes while he gambled at a slot machine.
- A female patron left four minors of ages three, six, seven and 10 unattended in a running vehicle while the outside temperature was 86 degrees in the parking garage of Harrah’s Philadelphia for 25 minutes whiles she gambled at a slot machine and patronized the food court.
The PGCB won’t rest until there are zero cases in the Keystone State. Progress is being made, however, this still remains an issue.
