A prominent county prosecutor in Pennsylvania is urging state lawmakers in Harrisburg to pass a regulatory bill for skill games, the controversial slot-like gaming machines that the casino industry considers illegal gambling.
Berks County District Attorney John Adams wrote an op-ed published by the Reading Eagle calling on the General Assembly to provide law enforcement with clarity about the games, the most common of which are produced by Georgia-based Pace-O-Matic and branded “Pennsylvania Skill.” Their suppliers claim they are legal because skill can be employed to improve chances of winning.
Adams stressed that police need clarity on whether or not the games are legal, and a few seizures of the games as unregulated gambling devices have already been overturned by the courts.
Adams, who chairs the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association’s Communications Committee, also noted that the skill games have attracted criminals who know the games are holding considerable cash and many host businesses have few to no security protections in place.
“Thieves know that these machines have cash boxes,” Adams wrote. “They know that, unlike highly regulated casinos, the local shops with skill games generally have few or no security procedures in place.
“Philadelphia City Council recently voted to ban businesses from having skill games unless they have a casino or liquor license and space for 30 patrons to eat or drink,” he wrote. “Philadelphia lawmakers pointed to an increase in crime as one of the main reasons for the ban.
“The Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, or PDAA, sent a letter in February to Governor Josh Shapiro asking him to work with state lawmakers and district attorneys on regulating these machines in our communities. PDAA did not take a position on the legality of the machines. That’s an issue for state lawmakers or the courts. Rather, district attorneys are concerned about the rise in crime surrounding these skill game locations.
“These unlicensed and unregulated skill games have put a strain on law enforcement in many communities,” the PDAA letter said. “We sympathize with the owners of the establishments that rely on these machines for extra income, but we must recognize that there are societal costs with their operation.”
Adams concluded with a plea that lawmakers give law enforcement clear guidance on what is legal and illegal, and provide consumer protection and security measures in any bill that is passed to regulate the games.
