North Iowa Casino Fined for Underage Gambling Violations
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A north Iowa casino is one of four gambling facilities in the state that will pay a fine for allowing underage gamblers on the gaming floor.
The Diamond Jo Worth Casino in Northwood has agreed to pay a $20,000 penalty for a minor who entered the gambling floor unchallenged. Racing And Gaming Administrator Brian Ohorilko says the minor was on the floor for over two hours and had gambled before the minor was identified by staff at Diamond Jo.
Catfish Bend Casino in Burlington was fined $30,000 for similar violations after an underage male was on the floor for 47 minutes. Ohorilko says, “It was not discernable whether the individual had gambled — pulled a ticket out of the machine, and based on a preponderance of the evidence, we felt the individual did gamble.”
Ohorilko added that the normal fine for this is $20,000 , but there were the aggravating circumstances of a lack of surveillance coverage, and the age of the minor elevated that fine.
The Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs was fined $60,000 for two underage violations including a minor female in January who gambled at a number of slot machines while on the gaming floor for over 30 minutes. A couple of months later, a 17-year-old female was on the gaming floor for five hours and had gambled.
Prairie Meadows in Altoona was fined 20-thousand dollars for an underage male who got onto the casino floor, was there for almost an hour and gambled.
