The state of Pennsylvania is the epicenter of the rapid expansion of unlimited and unregulated gambling devices, litigation, and legislative debates on how to address this problem. Lawmakers in Pennsylvania, many funded by the “skill” game industry, are considering legislation that would legalize tens of thousands of these machines in our communities, posing a danger.
"I stand with my fellow Pennsylvanians in demanding that our lawmakers work to combat the rapid expansion of these unchecked gambling machines in our neighborhoods and main streets."
The Delaware County District Attorney estimated there are 25,000 machines just in their single county. The statewide number is unknown, but growing.
Pennsylvania State Police testified that the rise of these machines is a “significant concern” to both players and the surrounding communities and has caused an uptick in criminal activity.
They are deceptively called "skill machines," but the reality is that programmed chance supersedes any actual skill. Payouts favor the companies that own them.
There is no testing or certification for the machines, leaving players vulnerable to potential manipulation and unfair practices.
The machine locations have no monitoring for underage play or compulsive gambling.
The Pennsylvania Legislature is poised to address this issue, and a statewide campaign has emerged to stop the spread of these machines.
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.