The Rivers Casino, a relatively new player in the casino industry in Pittsburgh, was fined $16,000 for allowing underage gambling on two separate occasions last year.
>The Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh is relatively new to the casino gambling industry in the state. On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reminded the casino that they must follow all of the rules, or they will pay.
Rivers Casino was fined $16,000 for two separate incidents involving underage gambling. The first incident took place in October and the second incident occurred late in the year, in December.
Pennsylvania has been one of the states where lawmakers have expanded gambling laws, but the age limit to bet at a casino has not changed. the legal age to gamble on slot machines is twenty-one and everyone must be at least eighteen to be on the casino floor. The two children caught gambling were fifteen and fourteen.
"Pennsylvania regulators are making it clear that although gambling may be becoming more prevalent, there will be no tolerance for underage gambling in state ," said Gaming Analyst Steve Schwartz, "This fine was a way to let Rivers and other casinos know that regulators are watching them closely."
In the case of the fourteen year old that was busted in December, the teen had been playing on a slot machine for only about four minutes before he was caught. The fifteen year old girl busted in October had been playing for roughly seventeen minutes.
The casino acknowledged their mistake to the Gaming Board. The fine was consensual between the casinos' owner Holdings Acquisition Co. L.P., and the Gaming Board.
Recently, lawmakers in Pennsylvania legalized table games at casinos in the state. When the table games arrive, the casinos will continue to be monitored by the board to ensure there is no underage gambling taking place.
Source: Casinogamblingweb.com - News added: 2010-01-29 at: 00:00:28
