Sands Bethlehem in Hot Water Over Underage Gamblers

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The Sands Bethlehem is once again in hot water with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). This is due to the casino once again failing to stop underage gamblers from accessing the casino’s gaming floor. The Sands Bethlehem reported the incidents to the regulatory board and has been fined US$150 000.

Sands Bethlehem Casino fined for underage gamblers

Sands Bethlehem Reports 10 Incidents

The incidents that the Sands reported took place between the 25th of September 2016 and the 1st of March 2017, in which a total of 10 underage gamblers were caught by the casino. Since the casino first opened its doors in 2009, it has struggled with enforcing the minimum gambling age and has already paid the state of Pennsylvania US$615 000 in fines.

The Sands Bethlehem met with the PGCB recently and apologized for the violations. However, it added that it is nearly impossible to keep all underage gamblers off the floor. The casino gets around 25 000 visitors every day, with around 300 being denied access. There’s bound to be some more that slip through the cracks.

Difficult to Enforce When Adults Help Kids

The Sands Bethlehem has also said that one of the most difficult aspects of restricting underage gamblers is when an adult or parent is involved. The casino pointed to an incident in December 2016, when a father accompanied his 16-year old daughter onto the gambling floor. The girl gambled on slot machines and joined her father at a table game. It was only when the dealer at the table asked for identification that they were caught. The two fled the casino once the dealer alerted security.

Out of the other incidents reported, four people were 17 years old, and there were also two 20-year-old women who were served alcohol while playing the slot machines.

Many people find this whole situation quite ironic, as the owner of the Las Vegas Sands group, Sheldon Adelson, violently opposes online casinos. He claims he is doing this because online casinos cannot properly stop underage people from gambling. However, it seems that land-based casinos are struggling with the same thing as well.

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