Indiana Casino Fined for Failing to Police Child Support Scofflaws - Newstbt.com

An Indiana casino has agreed to a settlement of $16,000 with the state of Indiana for various accusations, one of which is that it failed to scrutinize if those winning large payouts were delinquent on any child support payments.

In addition to the child support allegations, the Indiana Gaming Commission also said that Hollywood failed to comply with revenue reporting regulations and allowed vendors to work on its floor using improper credentials. The Commission and the operators of Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg reached a settlement on June 15 and have now made the agreement public. Under the terms of the agreement, Hollywood Casino must comply with state law, which requires casino operators to check the Indiana Department of Child Services’ Child Support Arrears Delinquency Registry prior to handing over large payouts. The casino must also adhere to revenue reporting regulations, and refrain from allowing vendors to work on its floor with invalid credentials.

During audits conducted in December 2022 and February 2023, gaming agents uncovered an oversight where eight individuals won money either from jackpots or sports wagers. The three who won taxable jackpots were subject to payment, and the remaining five winners claimed at least $600. To avoid further disciplinary action, the Commission offered a settlement that was distributed amongst the three violations; $8,000 for child support allegations, $5,000 for a revenue variance, and $3,000 for the improper use of vendor badges.

Revenue Variance

In March 2023, Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg failed to inform the Commission’s audit staff that an investigation was being carried out into a significant discrepancy found on its electronic gaming device drop. The investigation uncovered a $146,748.47 deficiency from two devices that had recently been relocated, as stated in the settlement. The shortage was composed of currency ($58,637) and tickets ($88,111.50). These machines had been moved during a weekly drop cycle, causing containers to be calculated even though the money had not been dropped. Vendor Badges.

Vendor Badges

Gaming agents uncovered that Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg permitted only a limited number of vendors to work on the casino floor using a vendor and visitor badge instead of their own individual licenses. Acres Manufacturing and Global Surveillance Associates employees were seen in separate incidents in December working on the casino floor with only vendor badges instead of having an occupational license required by the Commission. Moreover, a settlemement related to a February incident reported that a trainee with Everi Games was issued a temporary badge that had not been approved by the Commission. The trainee had been given a one-time authorization the previous month to survey another license holder, but had been informed that they could not do any work until they were licensed by the Commission.