Pennsylvania Skill Applauds Raid on Illegal VGT Mini-Casino
Pennsylvania, Aug. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- *WILLIAMSPORT - *Pace-O-Matic of Pennsylvania, which markets legal, court-adjudicated Pennsylvania Skill gaming devices, released the following statement regarding a massive seizure by law enforcement of illegal Video Gaming Terminals (VGTs) from an unregulated mini-casino in Berks County on Thursday.
“Pennsylvania Skill has been pulling the alarm with regard to the issue of mini-casinos filled with illegal VGTs for over a year,” Pace-O-Matic of Pennsylvania Vice President Tom Marino stated. “We fully support law enforcement’s efforts to shut down these large gambling dens. These illegal games and massive gaming halls are located in strip malls across the Commonwealth.
“Last year, Pace-O-Matic of Pennsylvania held press conferences and filed nuisance complaints against illegal mini-casinos. These types of places are not in the best interest of the Commonwealth and hurt legal, regulated casinos across Pennsylvania, as well as legal Pennsylvania Skill games and the small businesses in your district that financially benefit from them. Of note: one of the companies actively engaged in lobbying in favor of legislation legalizing VGTs in the Commonwealth had their illegal video gambling devices seized in this raid.
“Pennsylvania Skill works to ensure we operate in a manner that is fully compliant with the law. We employ a team of former Pennsylvania State Police officers, including those who worked directly in the Bureau of Liquor Enforcement, to ensure our operators and locations are complying fully with the law, regulations and terms and conditions of their contract. Pennsylvania Skill strongly supports legislation to regulate and apply an additional tax on legal games of skill. We will continue working with the legislature to seek regulation, additional taxation and strict enforcement.”
Pennsylvania Skill gaming devices are manufactured and distributed in Pennsylvania by Miele Manufacturing. To date, Pace-O-Matic, Miele Manufacturing, our Operators and the small businesses we support have paid tens of millions of dollars in taxes to the state. Pennsylvania Skill also limits the maximum number of devices that can be placed at any one location and we do not allow our games to be located at a business that is solely designed to be a gambling hall.
The Beaver County Court of Common Pleas previously ruled Pace-O-Matic's Pennsylvania Skill games legal, as games of predominant skill. Click here to read that decision. Earlier this year, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled that our games are presumptively legal. Click here to read the opinion. Last year, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania stated that our Pennsylvania Skill games are Not regulated by the Gaming Act and are not slot machines. Click here to read the opinion.
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