Maryland Casino Boots Breastfeeding Mom: Deemed a ‘Security Threat’

A Maryland casino has come under fire for reportedly booting a breastfeeding mom.

Maryland’s Casino at Ocean Downs told Alana Panas she had to leave the establishment, but not due to the breastfeeding.

Casino rules state that nobody under the age of 21 is permitted on the gaming floor and that included Panas’ 7-week old infant.

“I was in shock, I could not believe that was happening. I was just trying to feed my daughter, I was not trying to take her gambling or anything,” Alana Panas told CBS Baltimore.

The young mother also insists she was never on the gaming floor but rather in the corner of the lobby awaiting her boyfriend.

After posting  on her Facebook page, Panas’ story went viral.

Ocean Downs posted an apology on Twitter afterwards saying, “We strive to make our guest’s experience enjoyable. If any member of our team acted in a manner that doesn’t promote that, we’re sorry.”

Panas doesn’t buy it — she said the casino reached out to her and told she had been seen as “a security threat.”

Maryland is one of 46 states that have specific laws allowing women to breastfeed in public.

- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com