Pennsylvania officials have instructed businesses operating skill-gaming machines to remove them from their premises within the next two weeks. Authorities warned that noncompliance may result in seizures and criminal charges.
Attorney General Dave Sunday stated: “Unplugging the machine is not enough. The machine has got to leave the premises.”
This comes after a Supreme Court decision in June that said calling these machines “skill games” is misleading. According to the Court, they are essentially slot machines and thus belong only in casinos or licensed truck stops.
The Court also gave legislators until mid-October to regulate and tax skill machines. If this does not happen, thousands of businesses operating them have until October 14 to remove them.
Pennsylvania State Police will enforce the ruling, including seizing machines and proceeds from their operation. In more extreme cases, Police can file criminal charges.
Nevertheless, the situation could still take a different turn. The state legislature might pass regulations on these machines before the deadline.
John Getz, a senior official with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in Pennsylvania, said he hopes the ruling will not stand, since many local VFW chapters depend on the money they earn from operating these machines.
The broader skill-games industry also supports regulation and has previously proposed either a 16% tax rate or a $500 monthly fee per machine, arguing the machines provide important revenue to small businesses, social clubs and community organizations.
Meanwhile, critics maintain that over 70,000 unregulated slot-like machines have appeared in Pennsylvania since 2014.
Pennsylvania's total gaming revenue reached $569.7m in August 2026, a 2.2% decrease year-over-year
