The company Pace-O-Matic, which powers Pennsylvania skill games, has filed a lawsuit in Commonwealth Court against the Pennsylvania Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement (BLCE).
The lawsuit itself states that the BLCE engaged in coordinated harassment against Pennsylvania Skill operators and location owners where legal skilled games are played. What Pace-O-Matic seeks now is that BLCE be permanently blocked from targeting their games.
The company is also seeking to block BLCE from veterans’ organizations, fraternal clubs, and small businesses where the games are located. Although litigation is in the early stages, heavy accusations have been levied against the BLCE.
One of these accusations is that BLCE has been in direct contact with the casino industry as part of a conspiracy to disparage POM. Documented in the complaint is when a casino public relations operative contacted the Clearfield County District Attorney regarding a skill games seizure as part of the alleged cooperative effort with BLCE.
Mike Barley, spokesman for Pace-O-Matic said: "It is undeniable that BLCE officials coordinated with a for-profit company to harass POM and organizations and businesses where Pennsylvania Skill games are played."
Barley continued: "This is a clear betrayal of the public trust by a law enforcement agency." The company alleges that it has been targeted by the BLCE since 2018.
The complaints also state that BLCE leadership, trained enforcement officers to locate differences between Pennsylvania Skill games from others, which included training the officers on the colors and logos of Pennsylvania Skill.
It is also said in the report that locations cited for maintaining skill games were contacted by BLCE lawyers, who proposed reduced citation fines in exchange for help with building cases against POM and Pennsylvania Skill.
The Pennsylvania Skill games are located in small businesses, including restaurants and convenience stores. They also operate games within fraternal clubs and veterans organizations.
