by Alex Lloyd Gross
In about a week, skill games will be illegal in most businesses in Bensalem Twp, Bucks County. The township council voted to ban them earlier this week. If you are allowed to legally go into a bar, they will still be allowed in places that have a valid liquor license, and you can play them there.
Gas stations, convenience store take out shops etc, will not be allowed to have them. Should a business owner ( in a place where they are banned) decide to keep them, they will be cited for a summary offense, Detective Sgt. Glenn Vandegrift said in a statement. Should an officer enter the establishment and see someone playing a game, that customer will not be cited, Vandegrift said.
The Ordinance imposes fines and penalties if an establishment is not in compliance with the new laws and regulations, including a fine of up to $1000 plus costs for each day that an establishment does not comply, as well as the issuance of a Cease and Desist Order and the revocation of the Use and Occupancy Permit by Township Officials if a property owner or operator fails to remove any Local Gaming Devices after receiving an order to do so.
Not everyone is happy. The lobby group Pa. Skill is furious and said that by taking the machines out of only certain businesses, they are hurting those businesses.
Authorities believe that people under the legal age to gamble can have access to the machines in convenience stores. There is no way to police who plays the games.
Most businesses do not own the games, rather they lease them. Should a court challenge to this amendment be filed, it is quite possible that the township ordinance could be put on hold.