Most people at Pennsylvania casinos enjoy beers and cocktails without incident. However, that wasn’t the case for one visitor at Hollywood Casino in Grantville.
After six-and-a-half hours and three beers at Hollywood Casino, a self-excluded patron hit five different parked vehicles in the parking lot. Then, while driving on only three wheels on Interstate-81, Pennsylvania State Police put a stop to it all, charging the woman with a DUI.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control board slapped the operator of Hollywood Casino with a $70,000 fine and $2,500 in administrative fees.
The penalty was a result of Board approval at its June 16 public meeting of a consent agreement between the PGCB’s Office of Enforcement Counsel and Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association, LLC, the operator of Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.
Six hours, three Mad Elfs, 55 slot machines put patron and Hollywood Casino on the naughty list
At Wednesday’s PGCB meeting, the name of the person was not provided, only dubbed “L.C.” who is on the self-exclusion list.
On January 5, 2020 at 8:52 am, L.C. entered Hollywood Casino via the bus entrance. She had a brief interaction with a security officer then played at various slot machines in short increments until 11:15 a.m.
We understand trying to find a “hot machine.” But L.C. moved forty times in what probably looked like a game of musical chairs to casino security.
At 10:54 a.m. she talked to a bartender at Penn Draft House then ordered a draft beer, Mad Elf. She returned to the slot machines, ordered another beer at 12:20 and then another at 1:57 p.m.
L.C. attempted to get up from sitting at a slot machine at 2:23 p.m., but fell to the floor and was helped up by nearby patrons. She headed to the ticket redemption machine and returned to the slots. About 45 minutes later, she spoke with a security officer who notified surveillance that she was escorting a possibly intoxicated patron to the security office.
However, L.C. sat at a slot machine where a security officer and assistant beverage manager spoke to her and concluded she was not intoxicated. Hollywood Casino has since terminated the security supervisor due to the poor judgment.
After her interaction with the security and beverage manager, L.C. stumbled into another patron. But it didn’t stop her from playing slots for a few minutes before returning to the ticket redemption.
All told, L.C. played at Hollywood Casino for six hours and 21 minutes at 55 separate slot machines. She ordered three Mad Elf beers. Mad Elf is made by Hershey, PA-based Tröegs, and has an 11% ABV.
Three-wheeled DUI
L.C. left Hollywood Casino at 3:28 p.m. at the bus entrance after interacting with a security officer. She got in her car and upon exiting the Hollywood Casino parking lot, hit five different parked vehicles causing damage. Despite crashing into other cars, L.C., did not stop and instead, left the property.
Pennsylvania State Police stopped L.C. at 3:41 p.m. on I-81. There were only three wheels on the car. One wheel came off as a result of the demolition derby in the Hollywood Casino parking lot.
John Crohe, PGCB assistant enforcement council, outlined the incident during the meeting. He commented that the PSP said L.C. displayed signs of intoxication, admitted to hitting vehicles, and was criminally charged.
Hollywood Casino terminated employee
At the PGCB meeting, representatives for Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing said they could not identify L.C. as a member of the self-exclusion list. She was not carded (she appeared to be in her late fifties) and did not gamble with a player’s card.
Security reviews a slide show of self-excluded individuals who live in a radius around the casino. But with the sheer number of people and relying only on memory, some will not get caught.
As previously noted, a security supervisor at Hollywood was terminated.
Reps for Mountainview said:
“The supervisor maintained she spoke to the individual, watched her walk away, and didn’t see signs of possible intoxication. From the circumstances and the video, her judgement was indefensible and we immediately terminated her.”
PGCB Chairman David Barasch said:
“I think we are very lucky someone wasn’t seriously injured here.”
