Commissioner backs legal video gambling at Pa. clubs (Observer-Reporter)

“We have to inspect the machines that we’ve taken to determine if they are illegal gambling devices.”

Maggi, who retired from the state police before running for Washington County sheriff in 1997, sees the gaming environment as a radically different one from when he was in law enforcement and the state-run lottery, which debuted in March 1972, was the only legal form of gambling.

“The issue was more clear-cut,” Maggi said. “When gambling was illegal, it was illegal for everybody. But now the state is coming down and saying gambling is OK if you pay this big license fee.

“Most of these places that got raided are within a couple miles of The Meadows casino, where it’s legal.

“The state can regulate it like they do the casinos – they can tax it or license it. From what I hear, (the organizations) gladly will pay a licensing fee; obviously, not the millions of dollars that the big casinos pay.”

The longtime president of the Washington-Greene-Fayette Tavern Association also embraces the idea.

“I’ve been trying to do this legally for the last 20 years – ardently,” said Joe Pintola, owner of Jose’s Sports Bar at 227 S. Main St., Washington.

“The taverns just want to be legal. They want people to come to their place and loaf.

“I mean, from my personal experience, people that want to go to the casino spend more money than people who go to a tavern to pass the time.

“These lawmakers forgot all the laws were initiated in taverns back in the early days. I buy my liquor off the state, I get enforced by the state, I take my safety classes from the state,” he said.

Pintola’s been known to make the argument that tavern owners should be considered state employees and be able to buy into the state’s health insurance coverage, but that’s another issue for another day.

“It’s all a spiraling down for the small places,” Pintola said, admitting that Jose’s was one of the bars raided Jan. 27 by the LCE. He said it’s getting tougher and tougher for tavern owners to make a living.

“We’ve been promised and promised and promised. I’m considering veterans associations the same as taverns. A few hundred dollars make a difference to a small business.”

Maggi said he hasn’t received much in the way of responses from the legislative delegation, although state Rep. Tim Solobay, D-Canonsburg, acknowledged that he had received the letter.

Solobay, who is also Canonsburg fire chief, has introduced House Bill 169 to decriminalize clubs’ games of chance for the past few legislative sessions, saying, “It almost got to the goal line last session.”

Solobay’s bill would take away a provision that requires sign-in books for drawings and allow organizations to expand the size of their prize giveaways.

He attributed the bill’s failure to a Lancaster County senator opposed to gambling in any form who has blocked it from coming to a vote in the chamber.

The Small Games of Chance Act legalized punchboards, pull-tabs, raffles, including lotteries, and 50-50, daily and weekly drawings, as long as the payout doesn’t exceed $500. The Washington County treasurer’s office sells licenses to organizations for $100 per year. Bingo, the license for which also costs $100 per year, is permitted under a separate law.

Video poker machines are legal in Pennsylvania if played for amusement, but illegal if the player receives a payout. Slot machines are illegal except in state-licensed casinos.

Solobay said he supports a bill sponsored by state Rep. Paul Costa of Wilkins Township, Allegheny County, which would legalize a handful of slot machines or video poker machines in clubs.

“It was almost rolled into the table games bill,” said Solobay, whose district also includes Washington. Solobay said he would like to see a fee of between $1,000 and $2,000 imposed on small bars and clubs, which would be limited to operating a handful of slot machines or poker machines.

“That idea isn’t even in print yet,” Solobay said. “It would be a concept to legalize the machines.”

Related articles:

Raids target Washington Co. bars

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“We have to inspect the machines that we’ve taken to determine if they are illegal gambling devices.”

Maggi, who retired from the state police before running for Washington County sheriff in 1997, sees the gaming environment as a radically different one from when he was in law enforcement and the state-run lottery, which debuted in March 1972, was the only legal form of gambling.

“The issue was more clear-cut,” Maggi said. “When gambling was illegal, it was illegal for everybody. But now the state is coming down and saying gambling is OK if you pay this big license fee.

“Most of these places that got raided are within a couple miles of The Meadows casino, where it’s legal.

“The state can regulate it like they do the casinos – they can tax it or license it. From what I hear, (the organizations) gladly will pay a licensing fee; obviously, not the millions of dollars that the big casinos pay.”

The longtime president of the Washington-Greene-Fayette Tavern Association also embraces the idea.

“I’ve been trying to do this legally for the last 20 years – ardently,” said Joe Pintola, owner of Jose’s Sports Bar at 227 S. Main St., Washington.

“The taverns just want to be legal. They want people to come to their place and loaf.

“I mean, from my personal experience, people that want to go to the casino spend more money than people who go to a tavern to pass the time.

“These lawmakers forgot all the laws were initiated in taverns back in the early days. I buy my liquor off the state, I get enforced by the state, I take my safety classes from the state,” he said.

Pintola’s been known to make the argument that tavern owners should be considered state employees and be able to buy into the state’s health insurance coverage, but that’s another issue for another day.

“It’s all a spiraling down for the small places,” Pintola said, admitting that Jose’s was one of the bars raided Jan. 27 by the LCE. He said it’s getting tougher and tougher for tavern owners to make a living.

“We’ve been promised and promised and promised. I’m considering veterans associations the same as taverns. A few hundred dollars make a difference to a small business.”

Maggi said he hasn’t received much in the way of responses from the legislative delegation, although state Rep. Tim Solobay, D-Canonsburg, acknowledged that he had received the letter.

Solobay, who is also Canonsburg fire chief, has introduced House Bill 169 to decriminalize clubs’ games of chance for the past few legislative sessions, saying, “It almost got to the goal line last session.”

Solobay’s bill would take away a provision that requires sign-in books for drawings and allow organizations to expand the size of their prize giveaways.

He attributed the bill’s failure to a Lancaster County senator opposed to gambling in any form who has blocked it from coming to a vote in the chamber.

The Small Games of Chance Act legalized punchboards, pull-tabs, raffles, including lotteries, and 50-50, daily and weekly drawings, as long as the payout doesn’t exceed $500. The Washington County treasurer’s office sells licenses to organizations for $100 per year. Bingo, the license for which also costs $100 per year, is permitted under a separate law.

Video poker machines are legal in Pennsylvania if played for amusement, but illegal if the player receives a payout. Slot machines are illegal except in state-licensed casinos.

Solobay said he supports a bill sponsored by state Rep. Paul Costa of Wilkins Township, Allegheny County, which would legalize a handful of slot machines or video poker machines in clubs.

“It was almost rolled into the table games bill,” said Solobay, whose district also includes Washington. Solobay said he would like to see a fee of between $1,000 and $2,000 imposed on small bars and clubs, which would be limited to operating a handful of slot machines or poker machines.

“That idea isn’t even in print yet,” Solobay said. “It would be a concept to legalize the machines.”

Related articles:

Raids target Washington Co. bars

Home