Evolution Fined $25,000 by Pennsylvania Gaming Board Over Security Incident

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has imposed a $25,000 fine on Evolution US, LLC, a prominent B2B casino solutions provider, for a breach of regulatory requirements. This penalty, approved during the PGCB’s public meeting, was the result of Evolution’s failure to save surveillance footage over a nearly two-day period at its live dealer studio in Philadelphia.

The issue arose from a power outage that led to a server malfunction, which disrupted the recording and storage of surveillance footage at the facility. While the live cameras at 14 gaming tables remained operational, the failure to save video footage was deemed a violation of Pennsylvania’s Gaming Act.

The act mandates that all licensed operators maintain comprehensive surveillance to ensure compliance and security.

For more details on the consent agreement and specifics of the incident, interested parties can the PGCB’s Office of Communications.

Other Enforcement Actions: Involuntary Exclusions and Fraud Cases

In addition to Evolution’s penalty, the PGCB approved the placement of 17 individuals on various Involuntary Exclusion Lists. These lists are designed to safeguard Pennsylvania’s gaming environment by barring individuals whose actions pose risks to the integrity of licensed facilities.

Two notable cases involved patrons leaving minors unattended while engaging in casino gaming activities.

• One individual left a six-year-old child alone in a vehicle at Live! Casino and Hotel Philadelphia for six minutes while visiting the sportsbook.
• Another left three minors—two six-year-olds and a nine-year-old—in a car at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh’s parking garage for 16 minutes while also gambling at the sportsbook.

Such actions are a direct violation of Pennsylvania’s gaming regulations, which prohibit leaving minors unattended in any casino-associated areas, including parking lots and hotels. To raise awareness of this issue, the PGCB has launched the “Don’t Gamble with Kids” campaign.

The remaining 13 individuals added to the Casino Involuntary Exclusion List committed various offenses deemed detrimental to the Commonwealth’s gaming industry. Since its inception, this list has grown to include 1,262 individuals.

Additionally, the PGCB added two individuals to the iGaming Involuntary Exclusion List for fraudulent activities:

• One person created eight online gaming s using personal information from others.
• Another individual exploited multiple online s to gamble and subsequently claimed $15,336 in unauthorized chargebacks.

These cases reflect the PGCB’s commitment to maintaining ethical gaming practices and preventing fraudulent behavior within the state’s online gaming sector.

Evolution’s Past Security Violation

This latest fine is Evolution’s second significant penalty in less than six months. In August, the PGCB imposed a $7,500 fine on the company following an incident in 2023 involving a security lapse at its Philadelphia studio.

During that event, an unidentified individual byed security measures and gained access to the live dealer studio. Once inside, the treser behaved inappropriately and made disparaging remarks. Although staff promptly alerted security and law enforcement, the individual was not apprehended. The incident revealed gaps in Evolution’s visitor protocols, which require all visitors to sign in and wear an identification badge while on-site.

In response, Evolution revised its studio layout and security procedures to prevent similar breaches.

The PGCB has scheduled two public meetings in January 2025. The first, a videoconference-only session, will take place on January 15 at 1:00 PM. The second will occur in person on January 29 at 10:00 AM in the Board’s Public Hearing Room at the Strawberry Square Complex in Harrisburg. Further information, including agendas, will be available on the PGCB’s website.

Source:

”Live Dealer Studio Operator Fined $25,000 by Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board”, gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov, December 18, 2024.