HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — A staggering number of people are now banned from gambling in Pennsylvania, including a man who left three kids in a car to gamble at a Pittsburgh casino.

It’s typical for a small handful of people to be banned from Pennsylvania Casinos every month when the Gaming Control Board holds its monthly meeting, but December saw that number jump into the double digits.

During December’s meeting, the board approved adding 17 people to its involuntary exclusion list, citing various violations. One man was banned after leaving three children, a nine-year-old and two six-year-olds, in a car in the parking garage of Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh so he could gamble at the sportsbook.

Another man left a six-year-old in a car in the parking lot of Live! Casino Philadelphia to gamble, the board added. In addition to those two, 15 others were put on the list, including two who played online using other people’s information across multiple accounts.

“The Board’s actions in these matters stem from its commitment to keep individuals who have committed fraud from gaming online in Pennsylvania,” the board said in a release. “The additions made today brought the total number of individuals who are currently on the iGaming Involuntary Exclusion List to 53.”

Since its inception, the board said that 1,262 people have been added to the exclusion list. Some of those are voluntary. People who may have a gambling problem can request being put on the list to prevent themselves from getting into a PA casino.

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