Harrisburg - The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board awarded seven grants this week totaling $778,145.06 to local law enforcement agencies for training, prevention, enforcement, investigation and prosecution of illegal slot machines.

One of the grants, $22,166, goes to the Pike County District Attorney’s office.

These were the first awards of this type under the $5 million annual grant program developed and approved by the Legislature as part of the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act. The funding is drawn from revenues generated from slot machine facilities.

The grants, which are to be used to enforce and prevent the unlawful operation of slot machines in this Commonwealth, are awarded in three different areas:

1. Identification, Prevention and Deterrence: Grants may be awarded for the purpose of attending education and training events sponsored by authoritative agencies for the purpose of training officers, investigators or attorneys in techniques appropriate to the enforcement and prevention of the operation of unlawful slot machines in the Commonwealth. Grants may be awarded to conduct programs utilizing proven methods to attain deterrence or prevention of the illegal use of slot machines.

2. Prevention, Enforcement, Investigation and Prosecution: Grants may be awarded to defray costs related to assigning officers or investigators to prevent, deter, enforce or investigate the illegal use of slot machines. Grants may be awarded to defray the cost of prosecuting crimes involving the illegal use of slot machines.

3. Other Prevention and Enforcement Programs: Other programs that address prevention and enforcement of the use of illegal slot machines in the Commonwealth may be proposed.