Managing Partner, Matthew Haverstick comments on the lawsuit, filed against City Council and Council member Curtis Jones Jr., contesting the Council’s approved legislation to ban casino-style “skill games” in Philadelphia convenience stores. The lawsuit, filed by an owner of a 7-Eleven franchise that hosts a gaming machine, is seeking to have the bill ruled unconstitutional. The litigation effort was organized by Pace-O-Matic, a dominant manufacturer of skill games in Pennsylvania, although the company is not a direct party to the lawsuit. Haverstick, who represents Pace-O-Matic, has been instrumental in the Courts ruling that gaming machines with cash payouts are legal if users win primarily through skill, as opposed to chance.
Haverstick notes that games are an important revenue source for the stores, which receive a percentage of the revenue they produce.
“They’re not crime magnets,” Haverstick said. “These are typically small businesses that survive on really thin profit margins.”
Prior to the lawsuit, there had been negotiations with Jones and a plan to review locations where such games were causing issues. However, Jones unexpectedly called his bill up for a vote.
“We thought we were engaging in some progress. We had plans to visit some of these locations,” Haverstick said.
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