Skill games crackdown: Philadelphia City council wants to restrict, regulate gambling machines

CENTER CITY - 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.

Opponents say the games can contribute to crime and addiction, while many store owners say they rely on the machines for extra income.

Bravo Super Market, at 25th and Norris streets, is one of hundreds of Philadelphia stores, bars and restaurants that have the games.

No one in city hall knows exactly how many of these games exist in Philadelphia stores, because the games are not taxed and not regulated by any laws on the books, yet.

The city is looking to ban the machines from businesses that do not have a casino or liquor license and a minimum 30 seats with tables to eat.

"We do not wanna take it out," owner Jose Acevedo said. "We wanna keep the machines. We like the machines. We got the machines for a long time, but we don’t have no trouble in here."

Andrea Rodriguez, also with Bravo, added, "They try to take the game off. So, I think it's gonna affect a lot of the little businesses."

While there’s been no trouble at Bravo from the games, Philadelphia police released Tuesday surveillance of another store on Venango Street, with the games, where robbers loiter, waiting for a player of the games to leave after winning, robbing them of winnings outside.

The games were also highlighted at another store on Mascher Street January 26th, when a man playing a game was armed and shot at police before being shot and killed by police.

City council members and police say the games add even more trouble to what are already called nuisance businesses.

"We’ve been kicking the can down the road too long, almost to a degree that these operators believe that they don’t have to answer to the City of Philadelphia. That ends today," City Councilmember Curtis Jones stated.

It’s not just City Council taking action, but Governor Shapiro, in his budget speech two weeks ago, proposed legalizing the machines with a 42 percent tax on their daily take. The full city council could take up on what the Public Safety Committee passed Tuesday in just a couple of weeks.

It appears the days of games of skill operating free and clear of regulations and taxes could end.