Published
Land-BasedCasinoLegal & RegulatoryIndustry

Illegal slot machine operation at centre of wrongful death lawsuit

An illegal video slot machine operation in the US is allegedly at the centre of a wrongful death lawsuit filed on 16 November 2022.  

pennsylvania murder landmark
Listen To Article

The lawsuit alleges that the robbery and murder of a Hazelton, Pennsylvania convenience store clerk occurred because the property owner, gaming device maker and supplier, prioritised profits over the safety of the clerk. One defendant of this claim is Pace-O-Matic.  

This complaint was filed by Saltz Mongeluzzi & Bendesky on behalf of the victim’s widow and her two daughters and son.

The murder victim – Ashokkumar Patel – who worked at a Sunoco-affiliated retailer, was employed at the store for just a week and was mopping the floor when he was fatally shot at close range by a gunman. 

The shooter has been confirmed as a local resident, drug dealer and frequent gambler on the store’s illegal slot machines. 

These machines were designed, manufactured and maintained by the defendants of the Saltz Mongeluzzi & Bendesky complaint. 

The lawsuit accuses the property owner and game device maker of gross negligence and strict product liability that resulted from Patel’s death.  

Defendants include the Georgia-based Pace-O-Matic, Sunoco and Miele Manufacturing.  

These well-known gaming and manufacturing companies are accused of permitting an unsafe mini-casino in the retail store where Patel worked, without the security measures that communities expect from legal gaming operations.  

Larry Bendesky of Saltz Mongeluzzi & Bendesky said: "As noted in the complaint, these illegal gambling devices have a long and nefarious history in our commonwealth's criminal justice history as magnets for violent criminals looking for an easy score.  

“Suppliers know that the small stores that typically provide these slots are stocked with thousands of dollars to make instant cash payouts, lacking any of the necessary security measures to protect the low wage, front-line workers and customers.” 

“As a result, the combative, controversial industry that refers to these devices as 'skill games,' and their partners at gas stations and other small businesses unequipped to handle these operations, needs to be held accountable for what in this case was a killing machine."   

Premium+ Connections
Premium

GammaStack

 
Premium

Revsharks

 
Premium

Sport Generate

 
 
Premium

Digitain

 
Premium

PIN-UP Partners

 
Premium

Imagine Live

 
Premium

Lynon

 
Premium

Galaxsys

 
Premium

1xBet Partners

 
Premium

RISK

 
Premium Connections
Consultancy

SCCG Management

Executive Profiles
Zeal Network SE

Stefan Tweraser

VIP Play

Les Ottolenghi

Scientific Games

Keshav Pitani

Social & App

Spribe CEO exclusive: Simplicity is the foundation

Spribe CEO David Natroshvili speaks to Gambling Insider abou...

Redefining iGaming: A history of crash games

Crash games is a growing vertical that has taken gambling by...

A certain something: What makes crash games special?

Crash games. They’re simple, they’re easy to learn and,...

Smarter innovation to shape the future

Spribe CCO Giorgi Tsutskiridze discusses the past, present a...

Facing Facts: The corner of quarterly contemplation

With Q1 reports out across the industry, Gambling Insider co...

Taking Stock: A guide to key stock prices across the industry

Gambling Insider tracks prices from some of the industry’s...

15 years of Gambling Insider: From the Founders

Over the last 15 years, Gambling Insider magazine has interv...

15 years of Gambling Insider: The Awards over time

Global Gaming Awards Event Manager Mariya Savova gives us he...