Stop Predatory Gambling

The next story that needs to be written

by spgadmin

The Erie Times (PA) has a report about a local man who was denied a $2001 jackpot at Presque Isle Downs & Casino because he put himself on the state’s self-exclusion list. He now faces a summary criminal trespass charge.

Key questions that were left unanswered in the initial story include:

1) Was the man using a player tracking card prior to winning the money? If yes, the casino already knew this addicted gambler was losing money inside their building and only took action when the man was in line to collect a small jackpot.

2) How much money did the man lose that day (or other days) prior to winning the jackpot? If he needs to return his winnings, doesn’t the casino need to return his losses?

3) He had signed up for the self-exclusion program in April 2009. How many times over the last 13 months had this man entered and lost money at Presque Isle Casino?

Let’s hope The Erie Times follows up and digs a little deeper. The business model for casinos is based on people like this addicted gambler. Just ask the president of the Parx Casino just outside of Philadelphia.