Massachusetts casinos have steadied compliance with state law, forbidding anyone under the age of 21 from gambling in their facilities.
During the Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s Aug. 15 meeting, casino operators shared numbers related to underage patrons as part of their quarterly reports. Overall, the total number of underage individuals intercepted while in the act of gaming during the second quarter of 2024 was 10. That’s down two from the cumulative numbers presented during the same time period in 2023.
During the meeting, Massachusetts casino commissioners made it clear that preventing under-21 patrons from wagering remains a priority in the state, offering comments and asking questions related to the incidents.
Plainridge Park Casino leads underage charge at Massachusetts casinos
Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville had the lowest number of incidents in Q2 in which a person under 21 was intercepted while gaming. The casino caught one underage individual playing slot machines in May.
That’s actually an increase over the casino’s Q2 2023 compliance numbers, which showed no one underage was found in the process of gambling between April and June. Although, two people under 21 did have to be escorted from the gaming floor.
It appears that PPC visitors are more aware of the age restrictions, with far fewer underage individuals attempting to enter the gaming area than last year. In Q2 of 2023, the casino prevented 72 people under the age of 21 from accessing the gaming floor. This year in Q2, Plainridge stopped just 44. Now that July casino revenue is out, Plainridge will be looking to continue that success in Q3.
MGC interim chair Jordan Maynard congratulated PPC general manager North Grounsell for maintaining low underage gambling numbers:
“You always stick to your goals and you usually hit those goals. We’ve talked about, esoterically, whether we can get to zero on underage. I can tell you, getting to one is really impressive. So we appreciate that.”
MGM Springfield intercepted five underage gambling
Since opening in 2018, MGM Springfield has faced several fines from the MGC over non-compliance issues related to underage patrons gambling.
In 2019, the commission levied a $100,000 fine against the casino for not preventing underage visitors from gambling, accessing the casino floor or drinking. The MGC’s Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (IEB) documented 14 incidents involving 19 underage individuals who were present and/or gambling on the gaming floor between December 2018 and April 2019 at MGM Springfield. The casino cited MGM Springfield’s “porous” design; the facility includes a hotel and other areas open to all ages. The casino vowed to step up enforcement related to age requirements. However, the casino received smaller fines for similar violations in 2021 and 2023.
MGM Springfield’s director of compliance Daniel Miller told commissioners that the casino has continued to reduce the number of underage people accessing the floor and gambling. The casino’s 2024 Q2 compliance numbers bear that out.
Between April and June of this year, MGM intercepted five minors gambling at the casino. That’s down from 10 during the same time period last year. MGM Springfield said it prevented 75 underage visitors from accessing the gaming floor in Q2 this year. That’s down from 114 in Q2 2023.
Miller said the majority of underage visitors have been accessing (or attempting to access) the gaming floor through unmanned points of entry used by casino staff and servers. Additionally, he noted issue with an area leading into the GameSense responsible gaming area. When commissioners asked about plans to close those gaps, Miller said they were going to add more signage and possibly put a swing gate at the GameSense entry point.
Encore Boston Harbor underage compliance numbers remain steady
Encore Boston Harbor’s underage compliance numbers remained steady in Q2 2024. Four minors were intercepted gambling between April and June (three at slot machines and one at a table game). In the same period in 2023, Encore intercepted two minors actively gaming.
Eleven minors were intercepted on the gaming floor and prevented from gambling in Q2 this year. Comparatively, Encore intercepted 10 in Q2 last year.
Seven of the underage people who made it to the gaming floor did so because staff failed to check their IDs. Tom Coffey, Encore Boston Harbor’s executive director, told the commission that the underage incidents were the result of failures by the employees and not due to the casino’s prevention plan:
“I think in our particular case the processes and policies and the resources are there to prevent this. It’s really just a matter of human error and we’re mediating those issues.”
Forfeited underage Massachusetts gambling winnings increased in FY 2024
When one of Massachusetts’ casinos catches an underage patron gambling, he or she must automatically forfeit any winnings. That money is distributed to Massachusetts’ Community Mitigation Fund, which supports community projects in the areas around the casinos.
During the Aug. 15 MGC meeting, commissioners received the report on how much money the gaming fund received from forfeited winnings of underage gamblers in fiscal year 2024. The information was part of a presentation that also showed the amounts the state claimed from things like expired vouchers and unclaimed jackpots, as well as winnings intercepted by the Department of Revenue for unpaid child support and outstanding tax payments.
The vast majority of forfeited underage winnings came from Encore Boston Harbor. Plainridge Park Casino had no forfeited winnings from underage players in FY 2024.
The overall amount the state claimed in FY 2024 from underage forfeitures was higher than the previous two fiscal years:
- FY 2024: $9,137
- FY 2023: $7,635
- FY 2022: $6,602
