Enforcement Guidance Issued
The Pennsylvania State Police published a compliance notice on Wednesday, Sept. 9, directing host businesses to physically remove skill game machines from their premises. The guidance, distributed across the commonwealth, specified that the 120-day stay attached to the state Supreme Court’s June ruling on skill games runs out on Oct. 13, 2026.
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The PSP drew a firm line on what counts as compliance. According to the notice, simply powering down an operable machine or disconnecting it from its outlet does not satisfy the requirements of the Gaming Act. The police urged venues whose distributors or vendors decline to pull the equipment to contact PSP directly so the agency can coordinate removal.
Once the stay lapses, the PSP and other law enforcement agencies said they “may take enforcement action against businesses which continue to possess, operate, and/or maintain such machines.” The notice listed potential consequences: seizure and forfeiture of the machines, associated equipment, and funds tied to their operation, as well as criminal charges where prosecutors deem them appropriate.
Legal Backdrop
The June ruling ended a multi-year dispute over whether the skill component of certain gaming devices exempts them from Pennsylvania’s gaming law. The high court held that the machines remain subject to the Gaming Act even though their payout is not determined solely by chance. The court attached a 120-day stay to give distributors and host venues time to remove the equipment and to give the Harrisburg legislature a window to pass a regulatory framework.
That window has closed without a legislative fix. No bill legalizing or regulating skill games has cleared the General Assembly, leaving the machines in a legal gray zone that the PSP’s guidance now treats as a hard deadline.
Scale and Industry Response
Industry estimates placed the number of skill game machines in Pennsylvania at roughly 70,000 before the Supreme Court decision. The majority of those units are still on the floor in convenience stores, gas stations, and other small venues, according to reporting.
A Pennsylvania grocery-store owner who spoke to Casino.org said Pace-O-Matic, the distributor behind the widely installed Pennsylvania Skill title, had not contacted him about removing the machines from his locations. The owner’s account suggests that, at least for some host businesses, the onus of compliance is falling on the venue rather than the vendor.
Legislative Push Underway
State Rep. Russ Diamond, a Republican from Lebanon, said he will introduce a bill to bring skill games under state regulation. Diamond outlined a 20 percent tax on skill game revenue and proposed that 79 percent of the state’s resulting tax benefit be directed to the Property Tax Relief Fund.
The bill is also expected to include a broader overhaul of Pennsylvania gaming taxes that would eliminate local share payments. Municipal and county officials, who currently receive a 2 to 4 percent cut of their local casino’s gaming revenue, are likely to resist that provision.
Why It Matters
For the roughly 70,000 small venues still housing skill game machines in Pennsylvania, the Oct. 13 deadline converts a legal gray zone into a concrete compliance obligation. Businesses that fail to remove the equipment face asset seizure and potential criminal exposure, while distributors like Pace-O-Matic have not yet signaled a removal plan. The pending Diamond bill could reshape how skill games are taxed and regulated, but until it passes, the machines remain illegal under the Gaming Act.
David Garato is a luminary in gaming journalism, renowned for peeling back the curtain on the gaming world with his witty and insightful commentary. A decade into weaving stories from the pixelated edges of indie games to the expansive universes of AAA titles, David’s work is a thrilling blend of analysis and adventure. When not writing, he’s live-streaming, sharing his gaming exploits with an engaged and growing audience. David doesn’t just write about games; he lives them, making him a trusted guide in the gaming community.
