Skill game players cite atmosphere, comradery as deadline for machines looms
SUMMIT TWP — For nearly five years, Ed Skillman has operated Poo’s Place, a business off Route 356 that includes 17 skill game machines.
That operation may come to a close Oct. 13 following the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision that skill games are illegal and unlicensed slot machines subject to taxation and oversight accordingly.
Local skill game players aren’t in agreement.
“This isn’t like the big casinos,” Scherri Grazier, 77, of Butler Township said. “People come here just to have fun, to hang out with people they know.
“Everyone is so friendly here. There is a connection with people.”
Sarver resident Jocelyn Greiner compares Poo’s Place to the bar Cheers in the TV sitcom “where everybody knows your name. I haven’t met a bad person in this place. This isn’t a bunch of people sitting around getting drunk. These are established people in life, having a little fun in their leisure time. Everyone roots for each other.
“I’ve met wonderful people here. We come. We visit. We play a little ... That’s all it is. Now the government wants the biggest piece of the pie. It’s just greed. If this (Poo’s Place) was to close up, I’ll probably never see these people again and that makes me sad.”
Skillman estimates that “85 to 90% of the people who come in here are senior citizens ... definitely older adults. They come to have a good time, catch up with each other.
“I get to know everybody who comes in here. These people are like a second family to me.”
Skillman said there are roughly 1,000 skill game machines throughout the Butler area. Many people who visit Poo’s Place frequent other skill game locations in the area.
Stan “Zeke” Zielinski, 81, of Butler Township is one of them.
“I play three to five times a week locally,” Zielinski said. “I’ll go to the Rivers Casino maybe once a month. I’ve had two heart surgeries, been retired for 23 years ... I’m glad to be living. These (skill game) places are a fun way to pass some time.
“I don’t come here looking to get rich, but there’s always the thrill that next spin might be a good one. Everyone gets excited when anybody wins. It’s a very friendly atmosphere. If it goes away, I’m gonna miss it.”
Walt Wagner, 78, of Butler, frequents the local skill game establishments, describing them as “someplace fun to go.”
He said taxing each machine at the small local businesses isn’t fair.
“The state wants its money, sure, but the casinos have massive amounts of machines pulling in big money,” Wagner said. “Their taxes represent a small part of that. Applying those taxes to these local places is going to drive them right out.
“It’ll be a shame if it happens. I’ve made a lot of new friends here. I’ve gotten to know them and they’ve gotten to know me.”
If the local skill games do go away, some players don’t see themselves using a large casino like the Rivers to fill the void.
“No. I’ll just stop playing,” Beverly Silbaugh, 78, said. “I grew up in this neighborhood. This is entertainment to me, a little bit of fun, and the people are so friendly. I’m not gonna get that at those big places.”
Robert Geibel, 85, of Summit Township, agreed. He plays local skill games twice a week.
“Nobody’s coming here to make a living,” he said. “I come here for the friendship.”
“With the price of gas, I’m not driving to Pittsburgh to play for 15 or 20 minutes, then turn around and go home,” Wagner said.“ Nobody is going to do that. But you can drop in, play for a few minutes around here and go home. It’s convenient and now they want to take that away.”
Tom Greiner, 77, of Sarver, said the local skill game establishments should be left alone.
“It’s good, clean fun for everyone. Nobody is getting hurt,” he said. “There’s no gambling addictions going on here. I would hate to see it go away.”
Don and Nancy Morse, of Center Township, have been coming to Poo’s Place for two months. They also frequent large casinos like Erie, Salamanca, N.Y., and Niles, Ohio.
“A friend of ours told us about this place,” Nancy Morse said. “The owner’s a nice guy and the atmosphere is so pleasant. Casinos are big business. This isn’t like that.”
“You can just come in, sit around and talk to people,” Don said. “Ed treats everybody so well. It’s down home, so relaxing ... You’re not gonna get this at any casino.”
