Published on: March 3, 2026, 06:38h.
Recently updated on: March 4, 2026, 05:50h.
- Ahmedein Maham, a clerk in Philadelphia, was injured in a robbery targeting skill-game cash.
- A lawsuit alleges that Banilla machines compelled staff to handle large cash payouts.
- This case underscores the dangers associated with unregulated skill games in Pennsylvania.
A Philadelphia store clerk, who miraculously survived a close-range shooting during an armed theft, is taking legal action against Banilla Games, the company behind the skill-gaming machines that the robbers targeted.
On the night of September 14, 2024, twenty-seven-year-old Ahmedein Maham had just begun his third day at Bridge Market in Philadelphia’s Frankford district when two assailants entered. After shooting Maham, they fled with an undisclosed amount of cash designated for payouts from the gaming machines.
The store operator, Bridge Market and Wireless, its affiliated entity Philly Market, as well as property owner Eman Realty, are also included as defendants in this lawsuit.
‘Gaming Machines Correlate with Violence’
The lawsuit emphasizes the absence of regulatory oversight for skill-gaming machines in Pennsylvania, leading to inadequate protections for employees handling significant cash amounts, unlike the fortified environment of licensed casinos.
“We assert that these gambling machines have resulted in fatalities and serious injuries to low-income workers and pose an imminent threat to every community they infiltrate,” stated Maham’s attorney, Robert W. Zimmerman.
“Casinos must implement adequate security protocols and robust safety measures to safeguard employees and patrons,” Zimmerman concluded. “The cowards who attacked Mr. Maham were aware that this establishment lacked essential safety precautions, making him an easy target responsible for a large sum of cash on the premises.”
Maham was urgently transported to Temple University Hospital for critical medical care, as per the lawsuit. He continues to recover from both his physical injuries and the emotional scars left by the tragedy.
In a conversation with NBC 10 Philadelphia just 11 days post-incident, Maham expressed his intention to relocate to upstate New York due to overwhelming fear of returning to Philadelphia.
Authorities have released surveillance footage in hopes of identifying the two armed robbers, who are still at large, according to a press release from the law firm representing Maham, Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky.
$15 Million Settlement Following Worker’s Murder
In November, the same firm achieved a $15.3 million settlement for the family of Ashokkumar Patel, who was fatally shot during a robbery at a minimart in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. That incident also involved an attacker targeting cash meant for skill-gaming machine payouts, with machines developed by Pace-O-Matic.
In the prior case, local drug dealer Jafet De Jesus Rodriguez was sentenced to life in prison for the murder.
The current lawsuit contends that Banilla neglected to design and produce its machines with widely-available safety enhancements, such as ticket redemption systems that function like ATMs, thereby eliminating the need for employees to manage cash payouts directly.
“From a security viewpoint, the store was inadequately protected, unreasonably hazardous, and unsafe for both customers and the general public,” states the lawsuit. “The defendants’ failure to ensure that the premises were secure and safe constituted negligence and recklessness, directly leading to Mr. Maham’s life-altering injuries.”