The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) fined Evolution Gaming $7,500 after an unlicensed dealer dealt a hand of blackjack.
It was the employee’s first day of training as a live dealer game presenter, but dealing a hand of blackjack is something he should not have been doing.
The fine was one of several handed out at the latest PGCB meeting.
PGCB meeting details the Evolution unlicensed dealer event
The PGCB’s Office of Enforcement Counsel laid out the series of events that took place at Evolution on Nov. 1, 2021, when an unlicensed dealer dealt a hand of blackjack. The timeline of the infraction lasted approximately 17 minutes:
- 3:33 p.m.: The unlicensed employee sat down at the blackjack table, scanned his ID card and began dealing a hand. He dealt one card to himself, which is an incorrect procedure. Another dealer approached the unlicensed dealer and stopped play.
- 3:36 p.m.: The unlicensed dealer picked up the card he dealt to himself and returned the card to the shoe. He then placed the card into the discount rack.
- 3:45 p.m.: The unlicensed dealer dealt a new hand with cards face down, another incorrect procedure, to spots with no patrons gaming. A supervisor approached and attempted to correct the hand.
- 3:46 p.m.: The cards were flipped over and placed correctly.
- 3:47 p.m.: The hand ended.
- 3:50 p.m.: After a support specialist realized what happened, the unlicensed dealer was removed from the table and replaced.
The only patron gaming at the table won a $40 wager and lost a $5 bonus wager, netting the gamer $35. The game was not cancelled because of the patron’s winning hand.
The unlicensed dealer finished a total of one complete hand.
Evolution responds and accepts responsibility
Dealers are put through a training academy before they are put in front of any table with real action. The inexperienced dealer in question was only supposed to be observing on his first day of training.
The mix up started when a licensed dealer hit a “distress” button at the table to request relief. A typical use of the button is when a dealer needs a restroom break, for example. With the unlicensed dealer standing nearby on the gaming floor, a staff member told him to cover the table.
Jeff Patchen, Head of Compliance for Evolution North America, attended the meeting and addressed the PGCB. He said, “It was a miscommunication with staff and it has not occurred since the incident in November of 2021.”
PGCB requests Evolution update technology to prevent another incident
Evolution dealers must scan their badge to log into the table they are dealing on. When the unlicensed dealer scanned his, it was not detectable that he was unlicensed.
The PGCB suggested that Patchen look into the functionality to be able to differentiate licensed and unlicensed dealers to prevent another incident. The PGCB asked Patchen to provide affirmative steps to improve the scanning system by the next board meeting.
The unlicensed dealer is no longer employed by Evolution.
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