Pennsylvania’s skill game industry deserves fair regulation, not casino lobby obstruction | Opinion
Pennsylvania’s skill game industry supports small businesses and communities, and deserves fair regulation instead of obstruction from the casino lobby.Summary
Joe Calla, owner of Capital Vending, argues that skill games have revitalized many small businesses in Pennsylvania, including his own, allowing for expansion and job creation. These games, reliant on skill rather than chance, provide a needed boost to establishments like bars, restaurants, and fraternal organizations. A proposed tax of $500 per machine per month by Sens. Yaw and Williams is considered fair and would generate significant revenue for the state. Calla advocates for oversight by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, citing their experience and neutrality, and criticizes the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s historical opposition to the industry. He contends that the primary obstacle to sensible regulation is the powerful casino lobby, which fears competition and seeks to maintain its dominance in the state’s gambling market. He emphasizes the need to differentiate legal skill game locations from illegal gambling parlors and supports limits on machines per establishment, alongside enforcement against illegal operations.
(Source：Pennlive)