While generally safe, PA casinos see a lot of action. Money is won, money is lost and alcohol is served. When you have these conditions, sometimes 24 hours a day, incidents involving crime are bound to happen.
One such incident, according to recent reports out of central PA, involved a patron that shattered the screen of a video slot machine. Hollywood Casino York security told police that the 60-year-old Elizabethtown man was playing slots when he slammed his fist into the machine’s screen and shattered it.
Perhaps the guest was expressing frustration over losing money on the game, but he’s out at least another $1,800 in damage caused to the machine.
In addition, eight other PA casino players recently found themselves placed on the state’s Involuntary Exclusion List.
PGCB adds more PA casino patrons to the Involuntary Exclusion List
On occasion, casino guests get busted for cheating, stealing and disorderly conduct. Furthermore, PA casinos saw an uptick in patrons leaving minors unattended in their vehicles or other areas while they gambled in casinos last year.
These and other unsavory activities can land casino patrons on PA’s Involuntary Exclusion List, barring them from gambling in the state at all.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) had their monthly meeting on Feb. 22 and added more casino patrons to the list.
The latest additions to the lists involve some typical cheating violations and petty theft, along with a couple of more serious offenses. Being added to the Involuntary Exclusion List doesn’t necessarily mean the offender was criminally charged.
Recent thefts at PA casinos
Visitors to casinos should know that finding a casino voucher on the floor and cashing it in as your own is a crime. However, this is a pretty common theft seen at casinos.
- A male patron with initials JT stole a cell phone from another patron at Rivers Casino Philadelphia, and stole another phone and a voucher at Live! Casino Philadelphia. JT cashed the voucher at the main cage, but was later stopped by security. The phones and cash were returned in both cases, and charges were filed in the Live! Philadelphia incident. JT was banned from the casinos.
- A female patron, AR, took $500 that was mistakenly left behind by another patron at a ticket redemption machine at Mount Airy Casino. AR was charged with theft.
Several recent cases of cheating at PA casinos
- A male patron, DP, who previously worked as a security officer at Rivers Casino Philadelphia had two incidents. The blackjack player cheated and colluded with another patron at Rivers Philadelphia. DP past-posted a bet on another patron’s wager. That patron then slid chips to DP after being paid by the dealer. DP also past-posted bets at Valley Forge and was evicted from the property without being criminally charged.
- Male patron SR capped and pinched wagers at Live! Casino Philadelphia a total of 14 times while playing blackjack. The cheating caused the casino a loss of $425.
- Male patron SW past-posted, capped and pinched wagers while playing blackjack at Harrah’s Casino Philadelphia. The cheating caused a $225 loss to the casino. SW was charged with four violations of the Gaming Act.
PA online casino bettor initiated unwarranted charge backs
Male online casino patron, GW, falsely reported to PlayLive Casino that another individual illegally used his identity and banking information to fund an iGaming account under his name.
GW then attempted to make credit card charge backs to the company. However, a review of the situation showed that the majority of the account’s usage and previous customer service interactions came from the same IP address. GW previously pulled the same scam on betParx.
Excessive alcohol led to reckless behavior and assault
- Male patron TP was ejected from Hollywood Casino at Penn National for being overly intoxicated. When he left, he ignored casino security and proceeded to drive off the premises, hitting a parked car and causing damage on his way out. TP pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and operating a vehicle without inspection.
- Male patron JS assaulted another guest and a casino employee at Live! Casino Pittsburgh, and threatened the employee with a knife. JS was arrested and charged with simple assault and tampering with evidence.
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