Denise Keller, a mother of two from San Diego, has filed a suit against the Chuck E. Cheese’s pizza restaurant chain for promoting gambling to young children. Her suit claims that the games intended for their young customers encourage them to gamble on games of chance to win stuffed animals and other prizes.

 

 

In her suit, Keller cites that the games resemble those found in a casino, such as slot machines or roulette. Casino gambling is illegal in California, with the exception of some Native American casinos. The state also allows for poker and blackjack games, but state courts have found those games to be primarily “games of skill” rather than “games of chance”.

 

 

Keller is suing the Dallas-based chain for US$5 million in damages, but her attorney claims that the monetary gain from the suit is of “secondary value”. Eric Binink, Keller’s attorney in the case, said that his client “(doesn’t) think that children should be exposed to casino-style gambling devices at an arcade.”

 

 

Keller and other mothers have stated that children become addicted to games like “The Claw”, where the child manipulates a robotic claw in an attempt to retrieve a stuffed animal, as well as a roulette-style game where children deposit tokens and attempt to win tickets, which they can redeem for prizes.

 

 

Attorneys for the restaurant chain have asked a federal judge to dismiss the case and are still waiting on that ruling. The company lawyers also stated that, if the suit is not dismissed, they will cite that Keller and her children, ages 3 and 5, participated in what would be an illegal gaming operation and, therefore, are not entitled to restitution.