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The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board fined MGM Resorts International, settled with CountR GmbH and added 10 people to its involuntary exclusion lists Wednesday. One person was placed on the casino exclusion list after leaving a 5-year-old child alone in a casino parking garage while gambling.
MGM fined over late licensing application
The board approved a consent agreement requiring MGM to pay $50,250 for failing to file a required principal licensing application on time.
State regulations generally require officers and directors who must be licensed as principals to submit a personal history disclosure form and a Pennsylvania supplement within 30 days of taking on duties, unless the board grants an extension in advance. The board said MGM did not file on time.
The action is not the first involving an MGM-affiliated brand this year. In March, the board fined BetMGM LLC $100,000 after finding it lacked sufficient procedures to prevent fraud on its BetMGM Casino and Borgata platforms. The board cited weak customer verification that allowed accounts to be opened with other people’s identities and funded with stolen payment methods.
CountR resolves licensing violations
The board also approved a consent agreement with CountR, a German firm, to complete a change of control of its license without approval and failing to pay required licensing fees. CountR will pay $50,000 to settle the case, which covers its unpaid license fees.
State regulations generally bar anyone from acquiring a controlling interest in a licensed manufacturer or supplier until the board approves a petition, with a narrow exception for existing licensed suppliers that give 60 days’ notice. In February, the board fined Relax Gaming North America, a licensed online casino gaming manufacturer, $32,500 for completing a change of control before receiving approval.
Copies of both consent agreements are available on request through the board’s Office of Communications.
Child left in garage leads to exclusion
The 10 new additions bring the statewide total to 1,507 people. Depending on the list, people on them are barred from gambling at Pennsylvania casinos, on board-regulated online betting sites or at licensed video gaming terminal locations.
One case involved a man who left a 5-year-old unattended for 36 minutes in the parking garage at Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino while he gambled at slot machines, the board said. The board placed him on the involuntary casino exclusion list.
In a PGCB press release, the board said the exclusion serves as a reminder that adults may not leave minors unattended in parking lots or garages, hotels or other casino venues, because doing so creates a potentially unsafe environment for children. The board created the “Don’t Gamble with Kids” awareness campaign to complement casinos’ own efforts to address the problem.
The board has placed adults on exclusion lists in similar cases at recent meetings, including in February and March.
Board oversees 18 casinos, online gaming
The board regulates 18 casinos, online casino games, retail and online sports betting, video gaming terminals at qualified truck stops and fantasy sports contests. The state’s regulated gaming industry generated $3.1 billion in tax and fee revenue in fiscal year 2025-26, according to the board.
The board meets next at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, in Harrisburg. The agenda will be posted on its website beforehand.
