Bensalem bans skills games at businesses without liquor licenses

Bensalem, in Bucks County, may play host to the well-known Parx Casino, but the township is cracking down on gambling on skills games and games of chance.

At least, at businesses that don't have an active Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board liquor license.

During a meeting held Monday night, Oct. 27, 2024, the Bensalem Township Council reviewed and adopted an ordinance that calls for local gaming devices, commonly referred to as skills games, to be banned throughout the community.

In a statement on the move, Bensalem Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo and Public Safety Director William McVey said they have been monitoring the proliferance of these kind of devices beginning to pop up in "convenience stores, smoke shops, gas stations, delicatessens, and other establishments throughout the Township."

"The number of these unregulated and unmonitored gaming devices has grown significantly over the past few years, and today, the Township estimates the number of the devices throughout the Township to be at a staggering number of roughly 170," township officials said in a statement.

The officials also claimed that there have been "several criminal incidents" tied to these machines over the past year, helping prompt this action.

Mayor DiGirolamo addressed this move in his weekly show that is posted on social media.

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While businesses with a liquor license will be able to host these kinds of gaming machines, officials said there will be rules concerning these machines too.

These businesses, officials said, will be "required to segregate the Local Gaming Devices within their establishments to a local Gaming Area that can be monitored by employees and surveillance video that cannot be accessed by minors."

Establishments that host these machines and do not have the proper liquor license could be fined up to $1,000, plus additional fees for every day that such business does not comply with this new ordinance.

The new ban will take effect in 10 days, after the mayor signed it on Monday night, officials said.