Pennsylvania Bans More People from Casinos for Leaving Minors in Cars While Gambling

^{Pennsylvania has a campaign reminding gamblers that leaving kids alone while you play at the casino can lead to criminal, financial and social consequences. (Image: PGCB / YouTube)}

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PCGB) added nine people to its involuntary exclusion list on Wednesday, prohibiting those players from entering casinos for a variety of violations.

Three of those individuals were specifically banned for leaving minors unattended while gambling, a situation that continues to repeat itself in Pennsylvania and other states.

PCGB Reminds Players: ‘Don’t Gamble with Kids’

The PCGB outlined the exact violations for each of the three individuals, each of which left children alone while playing at Pennsylvania casinos. 

One male patron was said to have left a 5-year-old in a vehicle in the valet parking lot at Rivers Casino Philadelphia for 12 minutes while he went into the casino. Another male patron was said to have left a 10-year-old alone in a vehicle with the windows rolled up and the engine off at Wind Creek Casino for 45 minutes while the outside temperature was 90 degrees. The man played slot machines during that time.

Finally, there was the case of a woman who was trying to get off the involuntary exclusion list after previously leaving three minors between the ages of 10 and 15 unattended in a car located in the parking garage of Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course for one hour and 41 minutes while she gambled on slot machines in 2022. The board denied her request for removal.

“Actions such as these to deny statewide gambling privileges 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,” the PGCB said in a statement. “To compliment the efforts by casinos to mitigate this issue, the Board created an awareness campaign, ‘Don’t Gamble with Kids.’”

Children Left in Dangerous Conditions While Adults Gamble

While the idea of leaving children in cars or otherwise unattended for the sake of gambling might seem unimaginable for many people, this is not as rare a situation as some might expect.

In December 2024, the PGCB banned five other men from casinos for leaving children in vehicles while they gambled. In one case, a man left two children aged six and 13 in a car for 13 minutes in 92-degree weather while he placed bets in a sportsbook. Another left an infant along in a car for five minutes in similar conditions, while a third allowed an 11-year-old to stay alone in the parking lot at Mount Airy Casino Resort for 1 hour and 40 minutes while he played table games.

In some cases, criminal charges have also been filed against adults who leave children along while they gamble. A New York City couple was charged with misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of children in December after leaving their six-year-old child in a car at Parx Casino in Bensalem in below-freezing weather, without the car running.

Unfortunately, these stories have the potential to end in tragedy. Earlier this month, two children apparently froze to death while sleeping in a van parked in the parking structure for the Hollywood Casino at Greektown in Detroit. In that case, gambling was not a factor. The family was facing homelessness and had reached out to city services for help at least three times prior to the tragic deaths.