Downs Racing, L.P, a subsidiary of Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, owner and operator of Mohegan Sun Pocono, has been fined by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) for not meeting minimum staffing levels for its security staff.

At its most recent regular public meeting, the $150,000 fine was agreed upon by the Board as part of a consent agreement between the racino operator and the PGCB’s Office of Enforcement Counsel.

According to the governmental agency’s October 2, 2019, press release…

…the consent agreement between the two entities notates that the entertainment, gaming, shopping and dining destination located in Plains Township on the outskirts of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania failed to meet the minimum requirements for security staffing on 91 days between January 3 and April 28 of this year.

The Board will get together again on Wednesday, October 30, 2019, at 10am for its next regularly scheduled meeting.

Previous infractions:

Prior to the current fine, Mohegan Sun Pocono has not been sanctioned since September 2018 when the eastern state’s gaming regulator hit the destination resort with a $50,000 fine for failing ‘to prevent the serving of alcohol to visibly intoxicated patrons’ and allowing such customers to subsequently participate in ‘gaming activities.’ The incident reportedly took place inside the Luzerne County facility on September 11, 2017, and on October 28, 2017.

Mohegan Sun Pocono:

Within easy access of New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware, the facility located on a 400-acre site features a 238-room hotel with an on-site spa and adjacent 20,000 sq ft Convention Center. And is currently home to 82,000 square feet of gaming space with over 90 table games including an 18-table poker room, 2,300 slot machines and electronic table games, 15 dining options, and four shopping options, nightlife, entertainment, live harness racing and more.

PGCB Annual Report:

In related news, the PGCB recently released the 14th edition of its Annual Report (pdf), which provides detail on the agency’s work in regulating the Commonwealth’s gaming industry. The report also includes:

  • slot machine, table games and sports wagering gross revenue and tax revenue statewide broken down for each of the 12 casinos; additionally, fantasy contest revenue and tax revenue by provider for the fiscal year.
  • up-to-date status on gaming expansion initiatives;
  • a year in review report with pertinent statistical figures from the PGCB’s key bureaus;
  • a list of all Executive Sessions held by the board during the fiscal year;
  • revenue and expenditures during the fiscal year by the PGCB, along with a breakdown of employment at the agency; and,
  • a section on problem gambling with statistics on the PGCB’s Self-Exclusion Program.

Latest revenue report:

Figures released by the PGCB on September 16, 2019, indicate that during the month of August, the total gaming and fantasy contests revenue generated in the Commonwealth was 6.3 percent above the revenue generated the same time the year prior.

The property owned by the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connectimcut [Mohegan Sun Pocono] saw a 4.77 percent uptick at $20,473,355 total revenue for August 2019, from $19,541,451 from August 2018.

For comparison, Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia saw a 37.91 percent spike, with August 2019 total revenue at $14,733,932 up from $10,683,578 the same time the year prior. Conversely, Harrah’s Philadelphia saw the biggest dip at -2.55 percent, with August 2019 total revenue coming in at $20,683,821 down from $21,225,724 in August 2018.

Parx Casino, located in Bensalem Township in Bucks County, northeast of the city of Philadelphia, owned and operated by Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment, Inc., was once again the biggest earner, with August 2019 total revenue of $54,971,658.