If it hadn’t been for the firecrackers, the underaged gambler at Parx Casino probably would have gotten away with sneaking in.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, at a public meeting Wednesday in Harrisburg, fined the Bucks County casino $12,500 for allowing an 18-year-old to slip by security guards who were busy administering COVID-19 protocols. He played six different slot machines and left.

In Pennsylvania, it’s illegal for people under 21 to enter a casino, much less to gamble.

According to a consent agreement with the casino that the gaming board approved Wednesday by a 6-1 vote, the teen’s behavior and identity were discovered only after he left the Bensalem casino Sept. 16, 2020, and began setting off firecrackers as he drove around the parking lot for about 10 minutes.