Unattended children an ongoing issue
Number significant, but mitigation plan presented to state gaming board
Unattended children have been a headache for Pennsylvania’s gaming industry since the state’s first casino opened in 2006.
Wind Creek Bethlehem recently became the second facility in the state to present a mitigation plan to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. It will spend more than $4 million to improve security throughout the property in the city’s South Side to look out for minors, who have been found alone in hotel rooms, lobbies and other common areas.
“These incidents have been occurring since casinos opened, but the number and frequency has increased as more casinos have opened,” PGCB spokesperson Doug Harbach said. “This gained the attention of the board, who has taken a high interest in how casinos are handling the problem.”
For Wind Creek, there were 147 incidents involving 268 children between 2018 and 2021, and another 43 between April 2021 and April of this year.
The children were between 2 months and 17 years of age, and some were left alone for more than nine hours. The average age was about 12.
Statewide, Harbach said the PGCB began collecting figures at the start of 2021. Since then children have been left unattended 269 times while their caretakers were in the casino. A total of 424 minors were involved in the incidents.
Kid-centric amenities
Enforcing this plan could seem like a daunting task for Wind Creek. Besides its 150,000-squarefoot casino floor, which is only open to those over 21, it has plenty of places open for minors, including a 282-room hotel, an outlet mall and an event center.
Weddings, birthday parties and other nongaming events that children can attend are held throughout the year.
There are also children-centered events that include visits from Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, and Halloween trick-or-treating. Children are allowed at the food court adjacent to the casino entrance, but they must always be accompanied by an adult.
Wind Creek does have KidsQuest, a place for parents to leave children between 6 months and 12 years to hang out and play with supervision for an hourly fee. A “Tiny Tot Room” allows toddlers between 6 and 29 months.
Wind Creek Bethlehem had 147 incidents involving 268 children from 2018 to 2021, and another 43 between April 2021 and April of this year.
Wind Creek, which bought the casino from Las Vegas Sands in 2019, said unattended children have been a problem since the building opened in 2009. It is trying to solve the problem.
“We have taken unaccompanied minors very seriously since the property opened,” Wind Creek said in a statement. “We have signage at all entry points, including the individual garage floors warning guests that minors cannot be left at any time while on property. This includes our food court, where signs can be found on each individual table citing our policy.
“This is also where the majority of infractions occur. Unattended minors are not allowed to enter the food court without a guardian. Our house policy requires us to report any individual 14 or younger who is unaccompanied. However, we also self-report 15-17 year olds who do not have a parent or guardian with them.
“Also made public in our hearing was the financial commitment Wind Creek Bethlehem has made toward this effort. To date, WCB has spent over $4 million on additional security coverage. These services include outlet mall security and roving patrols on surface lots and the parking garage.”
The plan
In a presentation to the board in May, Wind Creek said it plans to:
Use more signs and displays. Signs reminding customers to not leave children unattended have been posted throughout the complex, from parking garage and food court entrances to tables and display boards. People staying in the hotel will have a reminder on their key jackets.
Utilize outside security. Wind Creek is spending $4.1 million for security firm Allied Universal to patrol parking areas, the outlet mall and food court.
Have more employee training. The policy will be emphasized during employee orientation and be mentioned to all customers checking into the hotel. Vendors who run the food court and KidsQuest will also receive further training, while the latter will install a card reader/door swipe system.
“Wind Creek Bethlehem has a zero-tolerance policy for those who leave children unattended,” the casino said. “Those who do are permanently evicted and could be prosecuted by the Bethlehem Police Department.”
Wind Creek also uses city police during larger events, such as concerts.
Of the 16 casinos in Pennsylvania, Wind Creek follows Boyd Gaming, operator of Valley Forge Casino Resort, which was the first to enter into an agreement with the PGCB spelling out a specific mitigation plan.
“That doesn’t mean, however, that all other casinos are not taking measures to combat this,” the PGCB’s Harbach said. “In fact, casinos across the state have increased the signage both in the parking areas and in the casino, and have trained security to look for children that are unattended. Wind Creek and Valley Forge are just the only ones to memorialize the mitigation procedures before the board.”
For instance, Berks County-based Penn National Gaming, which has four casinos in the state, has its policy for providing a “safe and secure environment for all its guests” on its website:
“An important part of this commitment is to ensure that our patrons do not leave minors unattended either inside or outside of the facility,” it says. “Penn National posts signage informing parents and guardians not to leave children unsupervised.
“Team members are trained to be on the lookout for any unattended children and to report any such children to our security department while keeping an eye on the child until security arrives on the scene.”
Those who are caught can be banned from all casinos across the state.
“The offending parent or parents are placed on the involuntary exclusion list by a vote of the board,” Harbach said. “Information on the individual including a photo is provided to all casinos, and it is their responsibility to not permit them to enter their facility.”