Lucky 7 seems not so lucky in Saugus

SAUGUS – A Gloucester couple looking to open a penny arcade in Godfried’s Plaza are willing to gamble their business is legal, but the Board of Selectmen won’t role the dice – yet.The Parisi family owns the Gloucester-based operation called The Lucky 7 Arcade, which they liken to a Chuck E. Cheese’s for adults. Rosalie Parisi and her son Michael are looking to open a similar arcade on Route 1 south, but others wonder if it is simply gambling under a different name.Selectman Stephen Castinetti said a letter from the Lottery Commission compared the Lucky 7 to an illegal lottery rather than a Chuck E. Cheese’s, but Parisi argued that was only one man’s opinion.”You say it’s one man’s opinion, but it came from the Lottery Commission,” Castinetti said. “We’d like to run this by our town counsel.”Parisi said she has a letter from an expert that maintains her arcade’s are games of skill not chance, which meets the definition of arcade, not lottery. The games, she explained, are essentially tic-tac-toe. She said the skill comes in knowing when to hit the button to stop the game and when to save. Winners collect points instead of cash or tokens that can be redeemed for gift cards to area businesses.”We’re operating in good standing in Gloucester,” she said. “We’ve had no problems, no kids and no smoking allowed.”Parisi said she doesn’t allow anyone under 21 to play the machines and in fact most of her clientele are aged 50 or older. She called it a quiet place for seniors to come and socialize.Police Lt. Stephen Sweezey did not see it quite the same way.”It states in a flyer that it mimics a slot machine,” Sweezey said. “Let’s face it this will not be a Chuck E. Cheese’s . . . when all is said and done this is a game of chance. You pay a fee, take a chance and win a prize. Put those three things together and you have a lottery.”Sweezey said he realized that gaming was a hot topic on the state level and that arcade laws might be outdated, but he added that until the state declares otherwise, in his opinion what the Parisi’s were seeking was illegal.”If it’s illegal,” Castinetti asked, “then why hasn’t Gloucester shut them down?”Sweezey said he couldn’t speak for Gloucester officials, but Saugus officials believed the law was clear and the Parisi’s would be breaking it if allowed to open.Serino Way resident Dennis Gould and Saugus Speaks Out Co-Chairman Donna McNeil also spoke against the arcade.”I don’t care what you call it,” Gould said. “If you put money in and you’re getting something in return, it’s gambling and Saugus doesn’t need this.”Gould said he feared that if the board allowed the Parisi’s to open in the Elks Club, the Knights of Columbus and other civic groups would flock in to seek the same permit.Rosalie Parisi’s husband Sam argued the board should grant the license and let the state decide the gambling issue.”All we’re asking for is an arcade license,” he said. “If the state can’t decide (on gambling) it’s not incumbent on you to. Salem Willows, Salisbury Beach all have the same games.”Instead, the board voted to seek an opinion from town counsel before making any decision.”It sounds like wonderful entertainment for a segment of the population,” said selectman Michael Kelleher who made the motion. “The question is, is it legal or not and I don’t think any of us can answer that.”