Highspire Sports Bar Company Pleads Guilty to Illegal Gambling Charges While Owners Have Cases Dismissed
A Dauphin County sports bar’s corporate entity has admitted to hosting illegal video gambling, bringing a close to a case that began with a targeted raid last year. 284 Main Inc., the company doing business as Champions Sports Bar in Highspire, pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor charge of intentionally possessing or maintaining a gambling device.
As part of the negotiated plea agreement, prosecutors withdrew all criminal charges against the establishment’s owner, Gaudenzia DeLuca. While the corporation must forfeit five video gambling machines and approximately $42,000 in seized cash to the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office, DeLuca herself avoids a criminal record. Defense attorneys in similar cases frequently object to the criminalization of these devices, arguing that the distinction between legal “skill games” and illegal gambling machines remains ambiguously defined in Pennsylvania law, unfairly putting small business owners at risk of prosecution for operating machines widely available across the state.
The charges stemmed from a May 2023 search warrant execution by Dauphin County Criminal Investigation Division detectives. Investigators determined the machines on the premises were illegal gambling devices rather than skill games. This case underscores the ongoing legal friction in Pennsylvania regarding unregulated betting terminals; while the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board strictly regulates casino slots, thousands of gray-market machines operate in bars and convenience stores, prompting sporadic enforcement actions and calls for legislative clarity regarding their legality and taxation.
