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in jail. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) is responsible for enforcing this at PLCB Wine and Spirits shops. As such, they do not subscribe to QUEST™ with their point-of-sale devices and cannot accept EBT cash benefits. In addition, there are no ATMs located in PLCB Wine and Spirit Stores.

 In 2010, Pennsylvania’s Gaming Commission mandated third party processors to block the use of the EBT card BIN (Bank Identification Number) at their ATMs in all twelve of Pennsylvania’s casinos. DHS completed initial testing of the voluntary agreement at four new Pennsylvania casinos in April 2011. The EBT Risk Management Unit (EBT RMU) performs ongoing testing by screening all EBT transactions to identify any conducted at the twelve casino addresses. In December 2015, the EBT RMU identified sixty EBT cash transactions at a Pennsylvania casino address. Upon further investigation it was identified that EBT cards began being delivered to Columbia Date Services (CDS), Pennsylvania’s EBT vendor, in another payment network BIN file. The logic of the processing platform is designed to seek alternative routes for authorization when the preferred route is unavailable. As a result, EBT transactions which previously only had the option of being automatically declined, obtained an alternate route that allowed them to be authorized. CDS has since implemented a new process that validates payment network BIN files to identify if they are now including EBT cards. This process was tested on January 21, 2016, and fully implemented in production on January 22, 2016. Due to this incident, 13 EBT Monitoring Letters went sent out reminding individuals not to use their EBT card at one of the prohibited locations.

 In December 2013, Pennsylvania added language to the signed affidavit page of Pennsylvania’s Common Application and Benefits Review forms and on the AMR, which prohibits the use of TANF funds through EBT transactions in liquor stores, casinos, and places for adult entertainment. Pennsylvania also expresses this language on the electronic Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) application process. The Prohibitions and Penalties page of Pennsylvania’s Common Application and Benefits Review forms also warns that misuse of the EBT card of PA Access Card, without good cause, may result in a fine, prison or both. DHS has not promulgated regulation to impose a penalty for using TANF assistance via EBT transaction in liquor stores, casinos, or adult entertainment establishments.

 In order to monitor the misuse of TANF assistance through EBT transactions, the EBT RMU developed a naming convention and address recognition protocol that identifies liquor stores, casinos, and adult entertainment establishments. The EBT RMU screens all cash transactions on three randomly selected dates per month using the pre-determined key words. The EBT RMU also screens all cash transactions using the keyword “liquor” for