PHILADELPHIA - Mayor Cherelle Parker signed three new bills into law Wednesday, including the prohibition of certain gambling machines and skills games.
Bill No. 210923 introduced by City Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr. will ban electronic skill games that resemble slot machines seen in casinos. This ban makes it illegal for a business in Philadelphia to operate any casino-style or skill game that accepts cash payment for the chance of a cash reward and is not otherwise regulated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
"As we wait for relief from our partners at the state, we must address the unfavorable conditions in our communities," said City Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr. "Nuisance locations are not one negative thing, but many negative things coming together."
Skill games crackdown: Philadelphia City council wants to restrict, regulate gambling machines
There’s a new push in Philadelphia to crack down on gambling-style skill games, which are often found at corner stores and gas stations.
During the official signing of the bills, Mayor Parker stressed the importance of why the ban is crucial in reducing violence.
"It is not okay to tempt our residents from low and moderate income neighborhoods with opportunities to gamble away their hard-earned dollars," said Mayor Parker. "It is not okay to give children purchasing candy an opportunity to gamble with their lunch money. It is not okay to create situations where those who are interested in mugging Philadelphians literally wait outside of gas stations in the middle of residential areas to rob people of money that they want illegally gambling."
The second bill that was signed into law focuses on the crackdown of license plate flipping devices and the third mandates an 11 p.m. curfew for most businesses in Kensington.
All three bills aim to improve and enhance public safety and the quality of life in Philly neighborhoods as a part of Mayor Parker's vision for a safer, cleaner, greener city, with access to economic opportunity for all.