The allure of these machines is undeniable, with flashing lights and designs reminiscent of the popular video games our children enjoy. With no oversight and manufacturers that will do anything to ensure profit, these machines are robbing our communities and devastating lives.
Who Is Impacted by Illegal Gambling Machines?
Even if you never lay a finger on them, these unlicensed machines have a profound impact on communities, leaving no one untouched by their ripple effects.
Illegal video slot machines can look deceiving. Find out how you can spot unregulated and unlicensed slot machines in your community.
Convenience stores, gas stations, malls, and eateries host these machines.
Commonly known as "Amusement Machines," "Video Lottery Terminals," or "Sweepstakes/Skill Games."
Requires cash to play, with increments up to $100. Business owners are deceived with promises of profits, costing them thousands of dollars.
Attempts to mask illegal gambling by incorporating difficult or low-reward secondary game play.
Companies reap a staggering $109 billion in profits from American communities.
The heart of our work is education, advocacy, and action. We educate individuals about the destructive impact of illegal gambling devices and opportunities for advocacy in their states. Our growing coalition of advocates continuously fights to preserve the integrity of local communities by spreading awareness and connecting with influential government officials.
Take a stand and make a tangible difference. Join our passionate community of advocates combating the harmful impact of unregulated and unlimited gambling devices.
By strategically directing our advocacy efforts toward states where the illegal market holds significant influence over communities, we optimize our capacity to generate meaningful impact. These 4 key states have a significant convergence of widespread illegal machines and promising advocacy opportunities.
The state of Pennsylvania is the epicenter of the rapid expansion of illegal gaming devices, litigation, and legislative debates on how to address this problem.
With the help of law enforcement, the Kansas Gaming & Racing Commission is cracking down on gray market machines operating in the state.
Illegal slot machines have rapidly spread throughout Missouri in the past 8 years, while lawmakers are at a stalemate when it comes to banning the machines.
Virginia has been battling the legality of "skill" games both in the courts and in the State House.
Read the latest news about how illegal slot machines are impacting communities and what’s being done to remove them.
It was ruled Thursday by the state court that Pennsylvania Skill games are legal. The Commonwealth Court ruled in the case, which was first brought forth in Dauphin County, that “Pace-O-Matic (POM) machines are not slot machines” and that they are legal, according to a news release.
Pennsylvania skill games have operated in a gray area for years. In a briefing from the Pennsylvania Attorney General‘s office, the momentum to ban skill games is picking up steam.
Video skill machines have become a fixture in convenience stores, bars and standalone parlors across Pennsylvania and as their legality endures judicial scrutiny in state and federal courts, lawmakers in the General Assembly are weighing regulation of an industry with revenues presumed to exceed $1 billion.