Gaming Control Board Adds Four To Involuntary Casino Exclusion List

Casino News - January 29th, 2010 - Written By Glen

Pennsylvania's Gaming Control Board has been taking harsh stances to ensure that only responsible, legal gambling is to take place within the state. The Casino Exclusion list is one of the main ways that the Gaming Control Board prevents pathological gamblers from harming themselves or their families, and players may add themselves to this list. Sometimes, however, those with pathological gambling problems do not always step forward, and law breakers are ejected from these casinos to subsequently be added to the list involuntarily. On January 27th, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board added four individuals to the Casino Exclusion List.

The four that were added to the involuntary Casino Exclusion List will be prohibited from entering or patronizing any casino within the Commonwealth. Under Pennsylvania's Gaming Act, the Gaming Control Board may add any individual that is deemed a career or professional offender, or those who's presence would be harmful to the interests of the Commonwealth, the gaming center, or both.

A full and fair hearing process is required prior to a ban is put in place, a process initiated by the Board's Bureau of Investigations and Enforcement. The accused are allowed the opportunity to reply to the petition and attend the hearing in their defense. Those four added on the 27th declined a hearing, and the default sentencing was enacted.

Each of the four who had been banned were determined to be criminals. Shoumin Chai of New York was placed on the list due to an arrest in July of 2009. She had allegedly been stealing money from the patrons of the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. The remaining three, Andre Nestor, Kerry Leverde, and Patrick Loushil were all with crimes linked to an alleged theft. In this crime, the accused had allegedly compromised a slot machine at the Meadows Racetrack & Casino. This was done in order to claim prizes worth up to $400,000 dollars over two months.

Pennsylvania Online Casinos also have exclusion lists, which allow problem gamblers to ban themselves and lets the casino control cheaters and the like.