Mums the word from most legislative leaders in Harrisburg, as their deadline to rewrite the law for skill games is down to the final hours. Action will not be taken to rescue the contentious gambling industry.
The state supreme court ruled skilled games (slot machines with puzzle games that can increase a players winning changes based in skill), are just slot machines– ending years of legal grey area for the games. Slot machines can only exist in highly regulated environments like casinos; meaning hundreds of businesses and non profits with the games were now in violation of gambling rules.
The court gave the legislature four months- till Oct 13- to rewrite the law; legislative leaders did not negotiate a deal. Now, state police and the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association say businesses risk criminal charges if machines are still operable tomorrow… but they prefer cooperation over example making.
In gas stations, bars, American Legions– corners that had skill games a year ago, might sit empty now.
In most cases, a skill game vendor or manufacturer owns the machine, so businesses are instructed to contact that vendor for removal.
There has been some contention on if a machin...