Hollywood Casino Fined $20 000 for Unapproved Poker Tournaments

The Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course has been slapped with a $20 000 fine by the state for holding several unauthorized poker tournaments. In addition, these tournaments also featured a higher entry fee than normal. The fine was approved and announced by the Pennslyvania Gaming Control Board on Wednesday as a consent of the agreement between the casino’s owners and its Office of Enforcement Counsel. Read more on the story below!

Hollywood Casino’s Violations

The $20 000 fine imposed on Hollywood Casino is said to be in connection with four poker tournaments that took place at the casino last year. According to The Patriot-News, the violations were disclosed by Alex Hvizda, the director of the Hollywood Casino. The report revealed that tournaments, such as the Labor Day Classic, was not even presented to the board officials for review. This is because the resort’s poker department had staff turnover.

More so, the poker tournaments reportedly cost more than normal. For instance, the tournaments took place 95 times at a different price between Feb, 5 and Sep, 12. Some of the poker tournaments would cost $120 instead of the $80 normal fee.  Since the incidents, the Penn National authority has applied for and received approval to run $120 fee poker tournaments involving bigger prize pools using an updated application.

According to the PA Gaming Act, ‘table games staffing plans, tournament schedules, dealer training programs and schematics of gaming guides, table layouts, signage and equipment [must] be submitted to the PGCB for approval by the Executive Director’.

“That was not done for four poker tournaments held in 2019 at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course,” the statement read.

The next meeting of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is scheduled for 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, February 12, 2020”.

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