Pennsylvania State Police said 99.4% of the 12,202 establishments it visited since Oct. 14 had removed skill-game machines. The agency counted 12,134 locations that no longer hosted the devices after enforcement began at the end of a 120-day court-ordered compliance period.
The campaign has resulted in the seizure of 14 machines and $1,913. Investigations remained active at establishments that had not voluntarily removed machines, while state police recommended that hosts of potentially unlawful devices arrange their immediate removal with suppliers.
The agency also issued a warning aimed at cashless machines marketed as sweepstakes games. Signs on some devices had claimed they were legal because they did not accept cash and operated as sweepstakes games rather than slot machines, but state police said no manufacturer or operator had sought its view on their legality before placing them in Pennsylvania businesses.
Under the police description, a device is a gambling device or slot machine if it accepts any form of compensation for slot-style games with spinning reels or video displays and gives players the opportunity to obtain cash, credit or financial reimbursement. The agency said that using credit or debit cards, mobile payment services or other alternatives to cash does not create an exemption. Offering free credits or play is likewise unlawful when a player can continue by spending their own money.
Pennsylvania State Police said distributors and establishments that keep operating such devices could face charges for unlawful gambling and related offenses. Enforcement can include the seizure and forfeiture of machines, associated equipment and proceeds. Section 5513 of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code also bars businesses from allowing electronic video monitors that provide simulated gambling for prizes.
The enforcement followed the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s June 15 ruling that skill games are slot machines under the Gaming Act. The ruling permits them only where the General Assembly has expressly authorized gambling, including Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board-licensed premises. State police said that means licensed casinos and qualifying licensed truck-stop establishments may legally operate approved machines, while other operators face criminal exposure.
The police had entered compliance agreements with six skill-game operators or distributors, with agreements involving several others pending when enforcement started. The Office of the Attorney General estimated that about 70,000 skill-game machines operated across Pennsylvania, a total it said exceeded the number of regulated casino slot machines.
The sweepstakes warning comes after our October report that House Bill 2801 proposed a separate prohibition on sweepstakes games, alongside a broader plan to regulate skill games. That bill carried proposed penalties of $50,000 to $500,000 for each violation.
