Pennsylvania Gaming Board Bans 11 Customers, Fines Philadelphia Casino For Taking Proxy Bets

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) placed 11 people on the state’s iGaming Involuntary Exclusion List on Wednesday. With these additions, there are now 30 individuals on the list who are banned from opening accounts, depositing, and placing wagers on online casinos or mobile sportsbooks in Pennsylvania.

The PGCB also publishes similar Involuntary Exclusion Lists for land-based casinos and video gaming terminals. 

In a press release issued Wednesday, the PGCB reported that following an investigation by the Bureau of Investigations and Enforcement, it approved the recommendation of the Office of Enforcement Council (OEC) to place on the exclusion list the 11 individuals that were found to have committed fraud by using false identities to obtain iGaming accounts and depositing funds with the intention of withdrawing them to different bank accounts, without the intention of engaging in gaming activities.

The PGCB published a full list of actions committed: 

• Requesting and receiving illegal chargebacks to credit cards of $5,510.
• Registering accounts under a false identity and withdrawing $6,195 to different bank accounts. 
• Registering accounts under a false identity and withdrawing $1,000 to different bank accounts. 
• Registering accounts under a false identity and attempting to withdraw $1,300 to different bank accounts.
• Registering accounts under a false identity and withdrawing $900 to different bank accounts.
• Registering accounts under a false identity and withdrawing $200 to different bank accounts.
• Registering accounts under a false identity and withdrawing $450 to different bank accounts.
• Registering accounts under a false identity and withdrawing $8,595 to different bank accounts.
• Registering accounts under a false identity and withdrawing $600 to different bank accounts.
• Requesting and receiving illegal chargebacks to credit cards of $684.

Fines and firings at Live! Philly

The PGCB also reported on Wednesday that it approved OEC recommendations to impose a fine of $100,000 on Stadium Casino LLC, the operator of Live! Casino and Hotel Philadelphia, for taking bets over the phone.

The fine was levied after several staff members of Live! Casino Sportsbook accepted over the phone and placed 15 wagers from a bettor who wasn’t present in the venue. The wagers totaling $287,421 were placed over eight days.

By accepting the bets, the casino violated the Pennsylvania Gaming Act, which prohibits operators from knowingly accepting wagers from anyone other than the individual placing the wager. Three Live! Casino staff have been terminated. The patron calling to place the bets was put on the state’s Involuntary Exclusion List.