The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled two months ago that skill games across the Commonwealth are in use illegally. As the law stands today, the future for these games remains uncertain.
When the high court ruled in June that skill games are considered slot machines and must be governed by Pennsylvania’s Gaming Act and Crimes Code, it issued a 120-day stay to allow businesses time to remove the skill machines while also providing a period for state legislators to pass new regulations to potentially permit licensing of the games.
Half of the 120-day period has passed, and no new legislative action has occurred. Bills introduced before the court ruling remain in committee.
| Exclusive
Supporters of skill games are urging lawmakers to approve legislation that regulates the machines and establishes a $500 monthly fee per terminal. They say the proposal would preserve a vital source of funding for the organizations that currently operate the machines, while generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the Commonwealth.
“Every day that passes without legislative action creates more uncertainty for the thousands of businesses and organizations that rely on this revenue to keep their doors open and continue serving their communities,” said Doug Sprankle, president of the Pennsylvania Taverns and Players Association, an advocacy group representing small businesses, veterans’ posts and fraternal clubs.
Pace-O-Matic, the leading developer of skill games in Pennsylvania, supports Senate Bill 1079, sponsored by state Sens. Gene Yaw, R-Lycoming, and Anthony Williams, D-Philadelphia, as well as House Bill 2046, sponsored by state Reps. Danilo Burgos, D-Philadelphia, and Jonathan Fritz, R-Wayne.
The bills would establish a $500 monthly tax per terminal and generate an estimated $300 million in revenue annually for the Commonwealth.
The casino industry, however, wants skill games to abide by the same regulatory standards it follows.
“If there is going to be a legal expansion of gaming in Pennsylvania, the skill industry needs to play by the same rules that the rest of us have been successfully playing by since 2006,” said Eric Hausler, the CEO of Parx Casino, Pennsylvania’s largest casino, in a press release after the ruling. “If they can’t, they shouldn’t be allowed to play at all.”
The legislature has until Oct. 13 to rule on the future of skill games.
Ben Shapiro is a news intern at the Bucks County Courier Times. Reach him at bshapiro@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Skill games still in limbo in PA. What's next?
