Several weeks after Bensalem Council unanimously voted to ban skills games at gas stations, convenience stores and other establishments that do not have a liquor license, small business owners are speaking up about the possible negative implications of such a ban.
A petition signed by more than 200 local business owners was presented during its recent meeting. All are urging the council to reconsider the ordinance, as they believe the lack of extra income that the skills games provide will be detrimental to their operations.
“There is a feeling of fear that people might lose their jobs if this is imposed,” said a representative of the business owners. “It’ll be a very difficult time for them, for all of them.”
The main reason behind the ban was crime related to the machines. For example, an incident occurred at a Route 1 gas station, where an individual robbed the merchant with a replica gun and knife after playing a skills game for three hours and losing. Another occurred at a gas station on Knights Road, where a man stole $190,000 from a vendor who was on site to load the machines with cash. He fled to Levittown, where he smoked crack cocaine at another gas station while playing a skills game.
However, the small business owners countered that crime can happen anywhere, including at large stores and other businesses that don’t have — and never had — skills games. The 200-plus petitioners think that small businesses shouldn’t be selectively targeted.
Additionally, they think the manner in which the ordinance was passed was unfair, as the majority didn’t know such a vote was taking place in October. The only person to attend that meeting was Anthony Ricciardi, owner of Ricciardi Mini Mart and Gas Station, which has several skills games on site that he didn’t want to lose, as they bring in steady income.
Another speaker at the meeting, an independent operator of several skills games, said, “With the pandemic, everyone was struggling and it helped pay the bills. The way it was passed, no offense, no one knew what was going on, and I would request you guys reconsider it.”
The week prior to the meeting, a lawsuit was filed against Bensalem Township by the owner of a skills game operating company, as well as Smoke Studio, a smoke shop on Street Road in Bensalem. Because the case is in litigation, council members were unable to respond to the public commenters, nor are they allowed to make any additional votes until it goes to court.
If the ban were to move forward, it would greatly reduce the number of skills games in the township, which, in 2023, totaled approximately 170. Only restaurants, VFWs and other establishments that have an official liquor license would be permitted to have a limited number of skills games on site.
