Parx Casino in Bucks County, Gambling Officials Meet Over Abandoned Children Problem
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- State gaming regulators will continue talking with officials from the Parx Casino in Bensalem, in an effort to eliminate the problem of gamblers leaving children in cars in the parking lot of the casino.
A couple of top representatives from Parx went before the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today to talk about what the casino has done in the past year to try to stop adults from leaving kids in vehicles (see previous story).
Parx spokeswoman Carrie Nork Minelli says they've taken an aggressive approach, adding additional security and patrols in the parking lot and increasing the number of security cameras.
The number of incidents dropped -- from nine last year to three this year -- but PGCB members want the casino operators to do better.
"The frequency in the last year certainly has gone down at the Parx, but we want that to go down to zero," board spokesman Doug Harbach told KYW Newsradio today.
Some of the ideas that were kicked around included more signage warning casino patrons of penalties, and possibly stiffer penalties that would include jail time and the risk of losing custody of the child.
The board also suggested bike patrols, which are being used at the Sugarhouse Casino in Philadelphia.
Reported by Brad Segall, KYW Newsradio 1060
