Senator Amanda Cappelletti and the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Committee chairperson’s Senator Katie Muth led a public meeting in Radnor on August 23 to deliberate the legalization of skill games in Pennsylvania.
The hearing comprised three testimony panels from law enforcement, regulation, and gaming specialists. They included Pennsylvania casino operators and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) representatives.
The skill games debate is ongoing in court as some people question their legality, direct and indirect effect on local communities. The games resemble slot machines but allow a player an opportunity to win each session theoretically.
Generally, skill games are in gas stations, truck stops, private clubs and bars. So, they aren’t under the existing gaming laws.
The ongoing discussions can end in three ways. The state’s gaming regulators can let them remain unregulated, ban them completely or create a tax structure to regulate them. The Commonwealth Court ruled that skilled games are legal.
Therefore, the state doesn’t need to tax or regulate them. The PGCB hasn’t given its opinion yet on the issue. But, it proposes them to be classified as other gaming machines or banned.
A Decision Has to Be Made Soon About the Games
The PGCB holds a neutral position about the games.But, the state’s gaming regulators indicated in the last hearing that they want a decision about them to be made soon.
Pennsylvania Senate’s website published that the skill games issue in the state is complicated and lawmakers have to consider various perspectives.These include VFWs which depend on gaming machines’ revenue, small business operators, gaming regulators and law enforcers.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) recently disclosed that the number of skill games in the state exceeded the 25,746 legal slot machines it has. It predicts that 61 percent of local gaming machines are uncontrolled.
Cappelletti said that expanding the Commonwealth’s gaming sector needs thoughtful action and might cause skepticism. This is due to the skill games’ alarming growth rate which urgently needs to be controlled.
Even so, Cappelletti issued a co-sponsor memo indicating that skill games are among the unregulated gambling devices. Senator Gene Yaw introduced a law in June which intended to impose a 16 percent tax on skill games in a bid to regulate them.
When Will the Supreme Court Make a Ruling?
The skill games case is in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court now. Six local gaming operators hired Lam McErlane as their attorney as they opposed the games. Besides, the lawsuit also involves the Department of Revenue (DOR) and the PGCB.
Pace-O-Matic (POM), a leading skill game manufacturer faces opposition from many parties.But, the company stated its games’ popularity in non-profit organizations such as VFW Posts and clubs has increased. The court said a few months ago that the DOR stole Pace-O-Matic’s property and cash which it had to return.
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