About a hundred small business owners, vendors, and community backers met at the Hershey Italian Lodge this week to ask for fair rules and sensible taxes on Pennsylvania’s skill games. The event, part rally and part town debate, showed how these machines have become a cash boost for local establishments trying to keep their doors open.
Small Businesses Worry High Taxes on Skill Games Could Put Local Jobs and Community Support at Risk
People there said the proposed law could decide if many neighborhood bars, eateries, and volunteer groups can keep counting on money from skill games. These machines look like slot machines but need some player choice and have been in a fuzzy legal spot while waiting for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to make a final call.
Representatives from House of Pizza in Lancaster said that money from skill games helps them pay for important things, reported local news outlet WGAL 8 News. This extra cash lets them give staff overtime pay, keep menu prices low, and keep giving to local causes. They cautioned that without this money, it would be much harder to deal with inflation and rising costs to run the business.
Many people at the rally were not debating if skill games should face taxes, but how much they should pay. Governor Josh Shapiro wants to set a 52% rate, which matches what casinos pay. Other lawmakers suggest lower numbers. Senator Gene Yaw‘s Senate Bill 626 proposes a 16% rate. Senator Chris Gebhard‘s Senate Bill 756 aims for a middle ground at 35%. Several small business owners at the event said they could handle a tax between 15% and 20%. They claimed that higher rates might force them to cut back on their business or lay off workers.
Hershey Event Shows How Skill Games Support Local Heroes
Willie Shay, who owns a fourth-generation business in Lebanon County, warned that high taxes would put too much pressure on local companies and charities that rely on their donations. He asked lawmakers to make sure small businesses do not get “regulated out of existence” in the next round of budget talks.
Backers also pointed out how skill game money helps communities. At the rally, people gave $19,000 to the Christiana Volunteer Fire Company in Lancaster County to upgrade its security system after someone stole from them recently. Fire company president Michael Ross said this gift showed how much this kind of local help matters to emergency workers.
While politicians argue over different plans, company owners are pushing the state to reach an agreement that looks after their needs without slapping on crushing taxes. Many who attended the Hershey event left feeling optimistic that Pennsylvania will put in place balanced and steady rules. These rules would let small businesses grow and succeed while also helping the state’s economy.