Jury Awards $15M in Fatal Pace-O-Matic Case

A Philadelphia County jury has found Pace-O-Matic, an unregulated “skill” gambling company, and its manufacturing partner, Miele Manufacturing, liable in the 2020 death of Ashokkumar Patel. 

The jury awarded $15.3 million to Patel’s estate. Patel, 50, an immigrant from India, was shot while working at a Hazelton, Pennsylvania location, mopping the floor. He was responsible for making large cash payouts to customers using Pace-O-Matic’s “skill” game machines.

“Placing Profits Over Safety” 

“Pace-O-Matic created a staggering enterprise in Pennsylvania, and was entirely focused on increasing its bottom line rather than protecting vulnerable, low-wage workers who had to make large payouts without any security measures to protect them from foreseeable risks,” said attorney Robert W. Zimmerman of Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky, who tried the case with John Lang. 

“On behalf of the Patel family, we hope Pace-O-Matic listens to the jury’s clear verdict that placing profits over safety can and does lead to dangerous consequences.”

The law firm representing Patel’s estate argued that Pace-O-Matic and Miele designed and distributed machines to thousands of Pennsylvania locations without the kind of safety measures required at regulated casinos or truck stop gambling venues. 

Attorneys further showed that the companies prioritized profitability and regulatory loopholes over basic protections that could have prevented the robbery.

Pace-O-Matic and Miele shared the civil verdict with Jafet Rodriguez, the man convicted of killing Patel, and the owner of the premises. The wrongful death lawsuit (Case ID: 221101639) was filed in 2022. Rodriguez was criminally convicted in Luzerne County and is currently serving his sentence.

Verdict Follows Goodling Charges

This civil verdict follows criminal charges against former national compliance director Rick Goodling, who served at the Georgia-based company until 2023. 

Pennsylvania’s attorney general charged Goodling in October with racketeering and related offenses, including accepting over $500,000 in kickbacks to suppress complaints about illegal slot machines and helping distributors obtain devices in ways that avoided law enforcement scrutiny.

Concerns over “skill” gambling devices are widespread. A 2023 survey by the American Gaming Association found that 65% of people familiar with skill machines can’t tell them apart from traditional slot machines. 

More than half said these games increase the risk of crime and endanger employees and customers at locations where the devices are used.