Business owners in Bensalem are mounting a challenge against the township's recent ordinance that bans skill games at establishments without liquor licenses. These local proprietors, who see the slot-style skill games as vital to their economic survival, have presented a petition, reportedly signed by over 200 supporters, at a Bensalem Township Council meeting, according to coverage by NBC Philadelphia.
Yug Patel, owner of a smoke shop and one of the primary voices against the ban, asserts that skill games are a cornerstone in generating revenue, attracting customers, and ultimately, sustaining their businesses. "They've been helping me pay my rent, helping me get new customers. They walk in, play the machines, they purchase other products from me. So it's helping me grow my business a lot," Patel told FOX 29. Despite the community backlash and a lawsuit aimed at halting enforcement, Bensalem officials cite crime and public safety issues as the driving force behind the ban on these machines. The enforcement of the ordinance is set to begin on December 6, with implicated businesses having been notified to remove the skill games or possibly face fines and license revocation.
The ordinance, passed by the Bensalem Township Council on October 27, apparently did so with minimal transparency and public engagement. "The way it was passed, no offense, but nobody knew what was going on," claimed Sonny Chopra, a skill games operator, during a conversation with 6abc. Councilman Joe Pilieri acknowledged the oversight, agreeing that a community meeting "would've been good."
Council members have remained tight-lipped on the issue due to ongoing litigation, the business owners, however, are not staying silent. "There's a feeling of fear that people will lose their jobs if this is imposed," stated a business owner during the township council meeting, as reported by FOX 29. In response to the backlash, PA Skill, a company involved with the skill games, said they "continue to support common sense state-level legislation to regulate their industry" and considered Bensalem's actions unlawful, in a statement published by 6abc.
As the deadline for compliance approaches, the debate over the ordinance is likely to turn into a legal battle, with a hearing set for January. While the outcome is uncertain, local businesses are feeling urgent as they face what they see as a threat to their livelihoods and the local economy.
