PGCB to grant money to local law enforcement
The gambling regulator from Pennsylvania has announced that it will give grant money to investigate violations and enforcement of laws.
US.- The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) announced this week that it will start accepting applications from law enforcement agencies in the state to receive grant money. The regulator wants the agencies to investigate violations of and enforcement of laws related to unlawful gambling.
The PGCB posted on its website the Local Law Enforcement Grant Program’s Guidelines and Application and announced that the deadline to submit grant applications is January 21, 2020.
Annually, US$2 million is allocated to the Board to award grants to local law enforcement agencies for the purpose of investigating violations of and enforcement of laws relating to unlawful gambling in the Commonwealth. Local law enforcement agencies who are eligible to apply for these grants include: Municipal and Regional Police Departments; District Attorney Offices; Pennsylvania State Police, when it is the primary enforcement agency in that municipality; Task Forces of any combination of the above agencies; and College and University Police Departments.
The inclusion of college and university police departments as local law enforcement agencies as eligible applicants in the program is new and has been added in recognition of the role these entities may play in combatting illegal gambling on higher education campuses.
Funding of the Local Law Enforcement Grant program had been discontinued as a result of the reallocation of those funds to the Casino Marketing and Capital Development Account in Section 1407.1 of the Gaming Act. The State Supreme Court invalidated the diversion of funds to that account in 2019, resulting in the funds again being available for distribution to eligible local law enforcement agencies.
PGCB levied fines totalling US$120k
The PGCB recently revealed that the US$120k fines were given to Downs Racing and Washington Trotting Association.
The regulator from Pennsylvania said that the fines were the result of board approvals at its public meeting of consent agreements between the PGCB’s Office of Enforcement Counsel and Downs Racing and Washington Trotting Association.
