Pennsylvania Fines Pilot Travel Centers $45,000

This week it was revealed that the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has fined Pilot Travel Centers $45,000 for allowing underage gamblers to bet on the truck stop's gambling machines.

The offenses occurred at the company's Smithton truck stop, which, in addition to showers and slurpee machines, includes slot terminals. In addition to allowing underage gambling, Pilot was also fined for not having an employee on hand that was certified by the regulator.

In other Pennsylvania gaming enforcement news, the regulator banned four people for leaving children unattended in order to gamble at the state's casinos. One woman left three of her children in a running vehicle at the Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course to gamble for two hours. Another woman left children in the car on two separate occasions to gamble at Rivers Casino Philadelphia and and Live! Philadelphia Casino.

A man was also banned for leaving his children in a car to bet at the sportsbook inside the Live! Philadelpiha Casino. Another man was banned for leaving his five-year-old in the car to bet at the Wind Creek Bethlehem Casino.

Each of the players will be forcibly excluded from gambling in Pennsylvania and are facing criminal prosecution.

In a statement, the PGCB said, "The board's actions serve as a reminder that adults are prohibited from leaving minors unattended in the parking lot or garage, a hotel, or other venues at a casino since it creates a potentially unsafe and dangerous environment for the children.

"Leaving minors unattended at a Pennsylvania casino also subjects the offending adult to criminal prosecution in addition to exclusion from all Pennsylvania casinos."