Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a man who was shot last September as he worked at a Frankford corner store that included skill-game machines.
Ahmedeine Maham, 27, was shot in the face at close range while working at Bridge Market, 2099 Bridge St. The two armed suspects entered the store sometime after 10 p.m. They left with an undetermined amount of cash and remain on the loose.
Maham was rushed to Temple University Hospital for treatment. He has since left that job and moved out of state.
“This has had a big impact on him physically and psychologically,” said attorney Bob Zimmerman.
The suit names as defendants the market and the realty company, along with North Carolina-based Banilla Games Inc., the skill-game manufacturer.
The lawsuit reads, in part, “From a security perspective, the store was not properly guarded or secured, was unreasonably dangerous and was unsafe for its invitees and the public at large. The defendants’ decisions in failing to ensure the premises was safe, secure and controlled was a negligent, grossly negligent, careless and reckless act, and caused Mr. Maham’s devastating injuries.”
The lawsuit follows Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky’s $15.3 million verdict resulting from a deadly 2020 skill-game robbery in Hazleton. Zimmerman and colleague John Lang tried that case in a Philadelphia court.
Zimmerman noted that casinos are required to have proper security and strong safety measures to protect workers and the public, adding that the gunmen who shot Maham knew that the store lacked those safety measures.
The complaint alleges the machines print a voucher or redemption ticket for winners to hand to the cashier.
A better and safer way, the lawsuit says, is to install a ticket redemption terminal to handle payouts like an ATM.
“It’s very easy. The technology has been around since the ‘90s,” Zimmerman said.
Banilla did not reply to a request for comment.
Skill games look like slot machines, with touchscreens, but manufacturers say they are different because there is a skill element to them. Thus, they are not regulated by the state, nor are they taxed.
During last year’s budget negotiations, the state considered, but ultimately did not, taxing skill games to increase revenue.
The lawsuit quotes former Gov. Tom Wolf and the Department of Revenue saying skill games are illegal.
The suit also notes that the Pennsylvania District Attorney’s Association has written a letter to Gov. Josh Shapiro, outlining an increase in crime connected to minimal security and a cash box with untraceable bills at stores with skill machines.
Among the crimes cited in the suit are a 2021 incident at a Lawncrest gas station where a man attacked an employee as he tried to steal a machine and a 2021 case at a Bustleton gas station where a man smashed two machines and stole $4,000.
The state Supreme Court heard arguments in late November about the legality of skill games under gaming laws. Zimmerman listened to arguments and said justices appeared skeptical of their legality.
Philadelphia banned skill games, but the ban was overturned by Commonwealth Court.
Manufacturers have said the machines do not increase crime, instead serving as needed revenue for small businesses. ••
