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Bradford council advances ordinance to regulate electronic gaming devices, opts for fee-based approach
Summary
The City Council introduced and approved Ordinance 3244.1 to regulate widespread electronic gaming devices in Bradford, favoring a higher annual fee for operators rather than an outright ban. Council discussion cited proliferation in convenience stores and concerns that operators may not report income from the machines.
The Bradford City Council considered Ordinance 3244.1 on the presence and regulation of electronic gaming devices across the city and moved to adopt a fee-based regulatory approach. The ordinance, introduced as number 3244.1, was presented during the council’s regular meeting and was moved and seconded for consideration.
A council speaker who led the discussion said the devices are appearing ‘‘in convenience stores… in grocery stores… in laundromats’’ and warned that operators ‘‘aren’t gonna report any of that income,’’ arguing that the city has two options: ban the machines entirely or charge a higher yearly fee than for other entertainment devices. ‘‘They're everywhere,’’ the speaker said while urging the fee-based route as preferable to a blanket ban.
Council members proceeded with the motion; a roll-call sequence followed and affirmative responses were recorded for the motion to advance the ordinance. The transcript does not record a detailed breakdown of the final vote tally by individual named council member in a way that could be unambiguously matched to the motion in the record.
The ordinance targets machines described by council members as gaming or wagering devices found in nontraditional retail locations. Supporters framed the fee as a regulatory tool to both raise revenue and limit unregulated operations; advocates for a ban were noted in the discussion as an alternative but the council chose the fee approach during the session.
Next steps indicated by the presiding officer included incorporation of the ordinance language and administrative follow-up to formalize fee schedules and implementation details at subsequent staff meetings. The transcript contains no specific fee amounts or an implementation timeline.
