Skill-Game Removal Deadline
Pennsylvania Attorney General Orders Businesses to Remove Skill Games by October 14
Anonymous
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has warned businesses to remove skill-game machines by Oct. 14 or risk law-enforcement action, following a June state Supreme Court ruling that the devices qualify as slot machines under the state Gaming Act. Unless lawmakers establish a regulatory plan before the deadline, machines outside licensed casinos and truck stops may be seized, along with related equipment and proceeds, and criminal charges could be brought against operators and businesses that continue maintaining them. Distributors, vendors and manufacturers may also face charges, and simply unplugging or disabling machines will not satisfy the removal requirement. The ruling affects an estimated 70,000 machines statewide, and some businesses and social clubs depend on their revenue; sellers also face losses, including one Pittsburgh-area distributor with hundreds of machines in inventory. Sunday says authorities prefer voluntary compliance and is urging businesses to contact their vendors to arrange removal.
Key Points
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Pittsburgh-area distributor Joe Rocca said he has about 150 machines in his warehouse and another 400 on the way, with deliveries taking up to 90 days; he said the inventory was effectively unusable after the ruling.
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The Supreme Court gave the state legislature until Oct. 13 to create a regulatory plan, but lawmakers had not done so at the time of the report—leaving businesses facing the removal deadline without a new regulatory framework.
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The ruling reaches a wide range of locations beyond bars and social clubs, including mini-marts, gas stations, grocery stores, laundromats and pizza parlors, according to the report.
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