Philadelphia Casino Illegally Permitted Children in Gambling Area
The casino at Philadelphia Park faces complaints before the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board regarding young children being permitted onto the casino floor. State law is that anyone under eighteen is not allowed into the gambling area, and no one under twenty-one is allowed to play the slots.
According to accounts brought before the board, a five-year-old was seen taking turns with his grandfather at playing a slot machine at the park. Other complaints involved a four-year-old who sat in his father's lap while the parent played slots, and a two-year-old who strolled the gaming floor with her mother.
The mother and daughter walked right by security, who took no notice of them, according to the story received by the commission.
The board is considering the charges and measuring the proper response, as the complaints are the first of their kind. Two isolated incidents had resulted in previous documentation, but both of these cases had concerned teens just under the age limits, not small children.
A penalty involving requiring the racino to fund a $21,000 program for gambling education in schools was considered, but rejected as it would not aid in preventing a reoccurrence of the violations.
Philadelphia family organizations were outraged by the charges, and demanded they be treated seriously. However, at least one member of the gaming board, Sanford Rivers, stated he thought the problem was not one of governmental but rather parental responsibility.
Perhaps the true responsibility lies with the casino. A fine is certainly in order here. Management should be aware of the microscope gambling operations run under on a daily basis, and thus must avoid even the appearance of misconduct. A more observant and reliable security department could cause much consternation to disappear.
It should be remembered that casino taxes have allowed Governor Rendell to cut property taxes by ten percent this year alone. Casinos obviously do a great deal of good; all that is needed is diligence in upholding standards, and most of the negative effects can be avoided.
