Pa. casino regulators hand down record fines

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s casino gambling regulators slapped Mohegan Sun Pocono with record fines totaling $1 million for what it called failing to follow internal controls and doing business with unlicensed vendors.

The fines of $450,000 and $550,000, approved Wednesday by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, were the board’s highest one-time fines since the agency was created in Pennsylvania’s original 2004 casino gambling law.

The bigger fine stemmed from an investigation into a scheme aided by a casino executive, a cocktail server and her boyfriend that authorities say stole more than $420,000 from Mohegan Sun Pocono in 2014 and 2015. All three are serving a prison sentence or are on probation.

The smaller fine stemmed from doing business with unlicensed firms that operate restaurants in the casino and sell vouchers for dining and slots play.

In a statement, casino officials say they’ve agreed to pay the fines.