Pennsylvania Orders Removal of Illegal Skill Game Machines
Attorney General Dave Sunday ordered businesses to remove unregulated skill game machines by October 13 to avoid criminal charges and equipment seizures starting October 14.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has ordered businesses to remove all unregulated electronic skill game machines by October 13. The directive follows a June 15 ruling by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, which classified these devices—commonly found in taverns, gas stations, and social clubs—as illegal slot machines under the state Gaming Act.
Under the ruling, only machines in licensed casinos or qualifying truck stops are permitted. While the court provided a 120-day window for the General Assembly to establish a legal framework, a bipartisan legislative solution has not been reached. Sunday clarified that simply unplugging the devices does not constitute compliance and urged business owners to coordinate with vendors to remove equipment and ticket redemption terminals.
Starting October 14, the Pennsylvania State Police will begin enforcement actions, including the seizure of machines and associated funds, as well as filing criminal charges against operators, vendors, and manufacturers. Pace-O-Matic, the largest manufacturer of skill games in the state, stated it will disable its machines by the midnight deadline unless a legislative or court remedy is reached.
