Bensalem business owners have joined forces with Pennsylvania skill games companies to resist the township’s ordinance banning the machines. Together, they put 200 signatures to a petition and turned out in numbers at a town meeting on Monday night to express their views.
Last month, Bensalem Township unanimously voted to ban skill games within the county. The ordinance came into effect 10 days later.
Small businesses in Bensalem relied on skill games as revenue stream to pay for basic necessities, such as rent. The meeting was open to the public with several business owners and employees in attendance, wearing t-shirts that read: Skill Games = Jobs and VFWs For Skill Games.
Business owners call on Bensalem Township to reverse skill games ordinance
Amarjeet Singh represented many business owners as he addressed the township during the meeting, by first, presenting the signed petition. He then asked council to reconsider their decision to ban skill games, citing the fear that many owners and employees could lose their jobs.
Bensalem Public Safety Director, William McVey, highlighted the crime associated with skill games, which triggered the ordinance. However, Singh argued that crime, and law and order, pertains to all large businesses, too. He said:
“Just to selectively target small businesses, and because of you guys, having skill games as a law and order situation, I think that is arbitrary. We shouldn’t be targeted.”
Sonny Chopra, a skill games owner and operator, has machines located in Bensalem. He took issue with the township’s process in banning skill games, saying:
“The way it was passed, no offense, but nobody knew what was going on. I would request that you guys reconsider it because it’s not right for the small businesses. [Skill games] were helping them.”
Bensalem Township could not comment on the matter because of an ongoing litigation case against the ordinance.
PA skill takes legal action, stands in solidarity with business owners
Pennsylvania Skill spokesman, Mike Barley, released a comment to PlayPennsylvania on Tuesday that highlighted similar points Singh and Chopra made during the meeting. Legal action has been taken against Bensalem, as Barley went on to say the following:
“Today, small business owners, veterans organization leaders, and other skill game supporters came together to showcase their concern over Bensalem Township’s unlawful skill game ordinance. This ordinance was passed with zero transparency and without the necessary due diligence to obtain meaningful commentary from the public. That includes Bensalem small businesses and nonprofits that rely on income from legal skill games and should have been considered before the measure was passed. It’s clear that Township Supervisors are doing the bidding of their internationally-owned casino friends – and Bensalem residents deserve better.“This dangerous ordinance stands to harm small family-owned businesses and fraternal clubs. It imposes unnecessary and costly mandates at a time when these establishments are already struggling to make ends meet. It also attempts to outright ban legal skill games in certain locations. Pennsylvania Skill has already filed a lawsuit challenging the ordinance and will fully defend the legality of our games, and the rights of our locations to operate them, in court.“We continue to support commonsense, statewide legislation to regulate and tax skill games, which would also rid the state of illegal gambling machines while providing new tax revenue to the Commonwealth. Township Supervisors should listen to the concerns of constituents and rescind the ordinance as soon as possible.”
The Commonwealth Court ruled skill games as legal last December. However, the matter of legality rests in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
The timeline is unclear for a final decision on skill games at the township or Supreme Court level. It is clear that small businesses are fighting for what they believe are unfair policies.
