The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) sanctioned FanDuel and Rivers Casino Philadelphia with fines for regulatory breaches. It also banned seven individuals from entering and playing at legal casinos in the state for various offenses.
The enforcement measures were approved during yesterday’s board meeting, and the PGCB’s involuntary exclusion list now includes 1,411 people who are banned from gaming in the state.
FanDuel and Rivers Casino Philadelphia Agree to PGCB’s Fines
FanDuel and Rivers Casino Philadelphia both agreed to pay fines following investigations into breaches involving employee licensing violations and underage gambling, respectively.
FanDuel Fined $40,000 for Unlicensed Employee Access
FanDuel will pay a $40,000 fine after regulators determined that three employees accessed customer account information or made adjustments to the accounts without holding the required licensing.
A 2021 investigation into one unlicensed employee revealed that a large number of employees were designated as “compliance associates,” but FanDuel failed to maintain records of access levels. Additionally, two other compliance associates also had access to accounts without the proper permits.
Rivers Casino Philadelphia Tagged with $30,000 Fine for Underage Gambling Incidents
Rivers Casino Philadelphia has agreed to a $30,000 fine after two separate incidents involving underage patrons playing at the casino.
In August 2023, a male patron was flagged for bringing an underage female onto casino grounds. Investigators later determined the 17-year-old male used another person’s ID to access the casino for three consecutive days. Once inside, he played both slot machines and table games.
A 19-year-old woman was discovered playing slot machines without showing identification in May 2024. She was confirmed to be underage when she subsequently attempted to register for a player rewards card.
PGCB Adds Seven to ‘Banned List’ with Crackdown on Fraud and Child Neglect
Seven individuals were permanently banned from gambling at any licensed casino in the Commonwealth. The infractions included two incidents of online gaming fraud and one of child endangerment, according to the commission.
While no details were offered on the occurrences of online gaming fraud, one of the most notable cases involved a female patron who was banned after she “left two minors ages 8 and 9 in a hotel room at Hollywood Casino at the Meadows for 7 hours and 41 minutes” in order to gamble at table games.
The board has also launched a “Don’t Gamble with Kids” Campaign to prevent child neglect at the state’s casinos. This came in response to troubling patterns of patrons leaving minors unattended in vehicles, hotel rooms, and parking garages while gambling. The public awareness campaign aims to educate casino customers and reduce the number of future incidents.
Pennsylvania recently reported a record year for gaming revenue, thanks in part to the rapidly growing legal online casino market. The market generated $6.39 billion for the fiscal year of 2024-25, with a 27% increase in iGaming revenue.
