The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has added seven individuals to its iGaming Involuntary Exclusion List after uncovering $27,168 worth of fraudulent transactions.
In a press release Wednesday, the PGCB says its actions “stem from its commitment to keep individuals who have committed fraud from gaming online in Pennsylvania.” The schemes involved creating online casino accounts with stolen identities, depositing with stolen payment methods, and illicitly withdrawing funds.
The seven new additions bring the total number of individuals on the iGaming Involuntary Exclusion List to 37. Four other individuals were banned for similar offenses within Pennsylvania’s brick-and-mortar casinos.
Illicit activity uncovered
The PGCB’s Bureau of Investigations and Enforcement (BIE) analyzed the transactions made by the seven individuals and discovered two major transgressions.
The first was that fraudulent schemes were used to obtain online accounts using other people’s names and identities. These accounts were then funded using stolen payment methods and withdrawn from the fraudulent account directly into the individual’s bank account, without any prior engagement in gaming activity.
Secondly, the individuals requested and received refunds for disputed credit or debit card transactions from card issuers, but these requests were fraudulent.
Under false pretenses
Four individuals were found to have created online sportsbook accounts using stolen identification and credit cards, while another did the same with a casino-type games account. Between the five individuals, 27 fraudulent accounts were created and $4,468 was illicitly withdrawn from these accounts.
Another individual illegally requested and received six chargebacks to a credit card registered with a casino-type games account, totaling $10,100. The seventh individual used a stolen ID and credit card to create a sportsbook account to deposit and withdraw $12,600.
More added to casino involuntary exclusion list
Alongside the seven new additions to the iGaming list, four other individuals were added to the Casino Involuntary Exclusion List. This is the register for individuals who have committed fraudulent activities within a brick-and-mortar gaming establishment.
The total number of individuals featured on the list now stands at 1,197. Beyond illegal chargebacks and withdrawing funds under false pretenses, other reasons for being placed on this list include theft, child endangerment, cheating, disorderly conduct, and attempting to use counterfeit currency.
Recent spike in fraudulent activity
These bans follow a recent spike in fraudulent activity in Pennsylvania.
Last month, the PGCB placed 11 individuals on the state’s iGaming Involuntary Exclusion List. An investigation by the BIE found that these individuals had committed fraudulent conduct such as illegal chargeback requests, funding accounts without engaging in gaming activity, assuming false identities to open accounts, and withdrawing funds from these false casino accounts to their own bank accounts.
