State funds awarded to combat illegal slots
State funds to crack down on illegal gambling devices that compete with casino slot machines began flowing this week from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
The board awarded $250,000 to the Allegheny County district attorney, $153,749 to the Washington County district attorney and $43,836 to the Northern Regional Police Department — serving Pine, Richland, Marshall and Bradford Woods — for prevention and prosecution of the use of illegal slot machines. The grants were among $778,145 awarded statewide.
The legislation that created Pennsylvania’s slots casinos provided for $5 million annually to help local law enforcement agencies deter payouts from such devices as video poker machines in bars, clubs and elsewhere. The gaming board is reviewing applications for grants from 15 additional municipalities, including the city of Pittsburgh.
A spokesman for Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. said no decisions have been made on when and how the new money will be used. Mr. Zappala is hoping to collaborate with his peers from other counties, especially those where casinos have been licensed, to coordinate a crackdown on illegal machines, spokesman Mike Manko said.