Sign In
Upcoming Event
Free Newsletter
Dauphin County casino fined for unapproved gambling
Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Dauphin County was fined $20,000 this week for allegedly conducting poker tournaments in 2019 that were not approved by the state Gaming Control Board.
The fine was a result of a consent agreement between the gaming control board’s office of enforcement counsel and Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, effective Wednesday, according to Doug Harbach, a media spokesperson for the gaming control board. Harbach said the unapproved poker tournaments were self-reported by the casino.
Pennsylvania’s gambling laws require table games’ staffing plans, tournament schedules, dealer training programs and schematics of gaming guides, table layouts, signage and equipment be submitted to the gaming control board’s executive director, currently occupied by Kevin O’Toole. Board officials said Wednesday this did not occur for four of the casino’s poker tournaments in 2019.
Alex Hvizda, director of compliance for Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, on Sept. 13, 2019 reported to the gaming control board’s Bureau of Casino Compliance that the casino conducted four unapproved poker tournaments that year, including the Labor Day Classic Poker tournament on Sept. 2. Three others were approved as $80 No Limit tournaments, although they were conducted as $120 No Limit tournaments.
The casino returned to the $80 No Limit threshold after compliance managers realized the three tournaments were being run as $120 No limit tournaments, the consent agreement states.
Daniel Ihn, vice president of Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, declined to comment on the fine.
