SugarHouse fined $100K for underage gambling

Pennsylvania gambling regulators have fined SugarHouse Casino $100,000 for five incidents of underage gambling involving 10 individuals last year.

At a regularly monthly meeting Wednesday, SugarHouse's general manager, Wendy Hamilton, told members of the state Gaming Control Board that the Fishtown casino had "became popular with athletes from nationally ranked universities" in the area, but she did not identify them.

The University of Pennsylvania was identified as one of the schools in a 16-page consent order. The second school was not identified.

SugarHouse told the gaming board that it has started using new scanners that are better at picking up fake IDs, and that it has instructed security guards to ask tougher questions of individuals with suspicious IDs.

Instead of just asking the individuals to recite the address and birthdate on the ID, a guard might ask the person what their Zodiac sign is, Hamilton said.

The $100,000 fine for SugarHouse is among the largest levied for underage gambling by the gaming board. It is the biggest in the state since 2011.

Overall, it also is the biggest overall fine ever levied against SugarHouse, which last year paid $85,000 in fines under four consent orders.