PGCB fines Evolution over unauthroized access

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) issued a fine against Evolution US, LLC on Wednesday, finding the company at fault for granting unauthorized access to its studio in the Keystone State.

No fault of Evolution’s but the onus is still on the company

The regulator’s Board’s Office of Enforcement Counsel did not find Evolution to have been complicit in the matter but noted that a fine of $7,500 would apply all the same as an unidentified man was allowed on-site on the company’s live studio environment in Philadelphia, where the live dealer games are streamed from.

This decision tracks with the watchdog’s practice of issuing fines to land-based casinos when such unauthorized access is discovered, or minors are left unattended. The PGCB has been very strict and has shifted the onus on properties to incentivize them to enforce strict rules and avoid such incidents in the future, but enforcement has been a finicky matter, as most patrons have not always complied with or respected the rules.

The fine, the PGCB said, was issued to the company after an unidentified male was seen at various locations in the Evolution studio, which triggered a check and led to the penalty. On the occasion of meting out the fine to Evolution, the Board also reviewed three other cases concerning various infringements in other locations around the globe.

Board issues penalties against individuals over leaving minors unattended

In the first instance, a man was placed on the Involuntary Exclusion List after he went inside to use the sportsbook at the Live! Casino and Hotel Philadelphia for 39 minutes. A 13-year-old was left in the car with the outside temperature reaching 92 degrees Fahrenheit.

Another male patron was also placed on the list after he left unattended two minors, aged 12 and 13, outside the same property for 31 minutes when the outside temperature was 82 degrees Fahrenheit.

Finally, a female patron left four minors, aged 3, 6, 7, and 10, in a running vehicle at the Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack in Delaware County for 25 minutes when the outside temperature was 86 degrees Fahrenheit. The board placed her on the Involuntary Exclusion List as well.

The list essentially prohibits these individuals from entering any of the state-licensed casinos. The PGCB has also tried to raise awareness about the prohibition that exists on leaving children unattended while adults enter gambling premises to play through the "Don’t Gamble with Children" campaign.

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