Published on: March 3, 2026, 06:38h.
Updated on: March 3, 2026, 06:38h.
- Ahmedein Maham, a clerk in Philadelphia, shot during robbery aimed at skill-gaming cash
- Legal action claims Banilla machines forced employees to deal with significant payouts
- Incident underscores the dangers of unregulated skill gaming in Pennsylvania
A Philadelphia convenience store clerk, who endured a gunshot wound to the face from a close-range robbery attempt, is now pursuing legal action against Banilla Games, the company behind the targeted skill-gaming machines.
Ahmedein Maham, aged 27, had just started working at Bridge Market in the Frankford area of Philadelphia three days prior to the incident on September 14, 2024. After injuring Maham, the two assailants fled with an undisclosed amount of cash meant for paying out winnings from the gaming machines present in the store.
The lawsuit also includes claims against the store’s operator, Bridge Market and Wireless, along with its affiliate, Philly Market, and the property owner, Eman Realty.
‘Machines Contribute to Fatalities’
The crux of the lawsuit is the absence of regulatory checks on skill-gaming machines in Pennsylvania, which leaves employees vulnerable while handling substantial cash amounts, unlike in a controlled casino setting.
“We contend that these gambling machines have been a catalyst for deaths and severe injuries among low-wage workers, posing a direct hazard to every community they infiltrate,” stated Robert W. Zimmerman, Maham’s attorney.
“Casinos are mandated to implement adequate security and stringent safety protocols for the protection of workers and the public,” Zimmerman added. “The individuals who assaulted Mr. Maham were aware that this store lacked such safety measures, making him an easy target for their intentions of obtaining considerable betting cash.”
Maham was transported to Temple University Hospital where he received crucial, life-saving medical attention. He continues to recover from both his bodily injuries and the psychological impact of the incident.
Two weeks post-shooting, Maham expressed in an NBC 10 Philadelphia interview that he intended to relocate to upstate New York due to fears about returning to Philadelphia.
Authorities have released surveillance footage to aid in identifying the two perpetrators, who remain at large, according to a statement from Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky, the law firm representing Maham.
$15 Million Settlement Following Worker’s Murder
In a parallel case last November, the same legal firm achieved a $15.3 million judgment for the family of Ashokkumar Patel, who was fatally shot during a robbery at a minimart in Hazleton, PA. That incident also involved an assailant aiming for cash reserved for skill-gaming machine payouts, using terminals produced by Pace-O-Matic.
In July, Jafet De Jesus Rodriguez, a local drug dealer, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder.
The latest allegations state that Banilla neglected to engineer and manufacture its machines with readily available safety features, such as ticket redemption terminals that function like ATMs, thereby reducing the necessity for store staff to manage cash payouts.
“From a security angle, the store lacked appropriate safeguarding measures, was unreasonably perilous, and posed a risk to its customers and the community,” the lawsuit specifies. “The defendants’ failure to ensure that the premises were secure, safe, and monitored constituted negligence, gross negligence, carelessness, and recklessness, leading to Mr. Maham’s catastrophic injuries.”