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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | September 14, 2023 02:20 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Mark Rozzi |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Illegal Gambling Devices |
| In the near future, I will introduce legislation that will make so called “skill games” criminally illegal in the Commonwealth. These “skill games” can be found in convenience stores, restaurants, malls, gas stations, and other places of business throughout Pennsylvania. Despite the illusion that the state has oversight over these machines, there are no consumer protection measures, prevention of play by minors, assistance for problem gamblers, money laundering controls, or other regulations protecting Pennsylvanians from these predatory machines. In addition to preying on users of the machines, “skill games” also steal money that should be going to Pennsylvania Lottery programs that support programs for our senior citizens. According to Pennsylvanian’s Against Gaming Expansion, “skill games” have diverted over $650 million that could have gone to programs that help some of our most vulnerable seniors, which equates to about $2,284 per machine, per month. “Skill games” also divert casino patrons and negatively affect legal slot machine play. Given the 54% tax rate on slot machine revenue, this reduces payments to Property Tax Relief Fund, the Race Horse Development Fund and the economic development and local share accounts that routinely help pay for important local projects and the operations of numerous non-profit agencies, including volunteer fire companies and other public safety agencies. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, is the fact that these unsanctioned gambling devices routinely attract the sort of serious criminal and other negative activity that the General Assembly specifically sought to avoid through passage of the Gaming Act in 2004 and the carefully designed amendments thereafter (in 2010 and 2017), which established that gaming should only occur in tightly regulated and controlled environments. New websites across the Commonwealth routinely contain headlines describing the occurrence of criminal mayhem wherever “skill games” are located, including violent robberies, and in a tragic case occurring in Hazeltown, a cold-blooded murder. My legislation will largely mirror language in SB 212 of the 2021-22 session with certain additions designed to aid and promote enforcement of the law. “Skill games” would be added to the list of illegal gambling devices in Title 18 while still allowing family entertainment centers, or arcades, to operate their games for children and families. Please join me in protecting Pennsylvanians from these predatory games by co-sponsoring this important legislation |