Iowa Casino Fined for Allowing Teenagers on Its Gaming Floor

Article by : Erik Gibbs Nov 21, 2023

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Lakeside Casino in Osceola has been fined $40,000 for permitting two minors to access the gambling floor in separate incidents in January. The first case involved a 12-year-old who entered the floor with his mother, and the second involved a 14-year-old who accompanied her mother and played a slot machine.

In a session with the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission on Thursday, David Monroe, Lakeside’s general manager, acknowledged the lapse in security measures.

Monroe explained that the incidents in January were the outcome of a failure by a couple of employees to adhere to the provided training and guidelines.

Monroe also emphasized that in both cases, the minors wouldn’t have gained access if the employees had performed even a basic level of diligence in their duties.

In an effort to avoid a repeat of such incidents, Monroe detailed several corrective measures.

Initially, all employees on the property underwent retraining, accompanied by signing acknowledgments emphasizing that responsibility extends to everyone on the premises, not solely security personnel.

Additionally, the security officers received additional training on turnstile responsibilities. Moreover, Monroe offered additional clarification, explaining that an extra measure was introduced.

This involved adding a step where the security manager and assistant security manager became the exclusive authorities to approve someone working in those stations.

Consequently, individuals not only had to demonstrate their understanding of the job verbally but also obtain approval through this specific process.

They conducted a thorough review of the entry area and installed a new turnstile at the entrance to the gambling floor. The updated turnstile features a physical arm barrier, necessitating a security guard to push a button indicating acknowledgement before allowing entry.

Additionally, they implemented an advanced ID scanning system, enhancing the security guards’ ability to identify fraudulent IDs. Monroe also conveyed apologies to the Commission regarding the violations.

Commission member Allen Ostergren initially contemplated a license suspension upon learning of the violations. He expressed that his initial thoughts were punitive regarding the appropriate actions.

Ostergren highlighted the significant circumstances surrounding one case, where a mother brought a 12-year-old to the casino near midnight.

However, Ostergren acknowledged the casino’s remedial measures and decided to support the imposed fine.

Ostergren emphasized that without the significant remedial measures taken by the casino, he would have found it challenging to agree to such a financial penalty, suggesting that it might have been more severe or impactful.

In a unanimous decision, the Commission approved the $40,000 penalty.