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Swatara adopts license and tax on skill‑based gaming devices amid resident concerns
Summary
The board adopted Ordinance O‑2026‑4 creating a licensing and tax regime for operators and distributors of skill‑based gaming devices, addressing a zoning loophole that allowed dense arcade‑style operations; staff estimated roughly 250 machines in the township.
Swatara Township on June 10 approved an ordinance imposing licensing and a tax on skill‑based gaming devices operated by businesses and device owners, an action staff described as a way to regulate a growing local presence of densely deployed gaming devices.
Director Golden told the board the ordinance has been properly advertised and is ready for adoption. He said the township has identified roughly 250 machines of concern and that the new licensing regime would require both machine owners and premises operators to obtain licenses. "We have approximately 250 that we know of. So it is going to be a substantial undertaking for my department," he said.
Several speakers and one commissioner raised concerns that some premises were operating like mini‑casinos rather than the corner‑store placements residents expected. "It's the equivalent of a mini casino on Derry Street," resident Christine Zubc said, adding that many neighbors said they were unaware of such large operations until they opened.
Board members discussed zoning implications and noted a prior loophole in the ordinance that allowed an 'amusement arcade' classification to be used to host concentrated devices. Staff said the draft zoning amendments will close that loophole by defining amusement arcades and prohibiting betting devices within that use.
The board voted in favor of the ordinance by voice vote; the enactment was recorded as Ordinance O‑2026‑4.
Next steps: staff will enforce licensing requirements and incorporate zoning fixes in the broader SALDO/zoning amendment package going to the planning commission.
