Casino Workers Nab $5.5 Million Accord for Tobacco Tax, Tip Pool

Penn National Gaming Inc. and two casinos agreed to a $5.5 million settlement in a class action claiming they mishandled workers’ tips and deducted an improper $50 surcharge from the paychecks of workers who use tobacco products.

The settlement, announced Jan. 27 in the US District Court for the Western District of Missouri, is expected to provide average payments of $370 to about 4,175 workers who had tobacco surcharges deducted from their wages. About 417 table games dealers at Kansas City’s Argosy Riverside Casino will receive average payments of $2,000 to settle claims related to a mandatory tip pool, ...