Pennsylvania skill games face legal shutdown deadline

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 11 Oct, 12:19 · Archive

Pennsylvania's skill game machines become illegal on Tuesday after the state Supreme Court ruled they are slot machines.

Pennsylvania's skill game machines, which operate in bars, clubs and other venues, are set to become illegal on 13 October. In June, the state Supreme Court ruled that despite their different form from traditional slot machines, skill games function as gambling apparatus and are therefore slot machines under state law. The court gave state lawmakers 120 days to pass legislation clarifying how skill games fit into Pennsylvania's gambling laws. If no action was taken, the machines would become illegal after that period expired.

That deadline is now 13 October, with no legislation passed. The machines are used by social clubs and other organisations to supplement income, much like crane games or vending machines. Some estimates suggest regulation and taxation of the games could generate up to $1 billion in state revenue, though there are questions about the state's existing gambling landscape and its effects on residents.

State representatives and senators must now decide the machines' fate. They can pass legislation to regulate and tax skill games, or explicitly define them as illegal. TribLIVE's editorial board criticises the inaction, noting that leaving the matter in legal limbo creates problems for operators and the state alike.

How it is being reported

• Editorial: Why haven’t lawmakers fixed skill games misstep?Pennsylvania is about to run out of runway on skill games.TribLIVE · 11 Oct, 11:01
• Pennsylvania's skill games industry is about to go dark. What could the fallout be?Pittsburgh Post-Gazette · 11 Oct, 09:00

In this story: Pennsylvania · Pennsylvania Supreme Court

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