Pennsylvania State Police Urge Public to Report Illegal Skill Games After Ban Takes Effect

The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) are urging the public to report businesses that continue operating or housing skill games—controversial devices classified as illegal slot machines following a state Supreme Court order that took effect at 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 14, 2026.

In June, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that skill games meet the statutory definition of a slot machine. However, the court stayed enforcement of its decision until Oct. 13, 2026, after which the devices were required to be powered down and removed statewide.

The state law enforcement agency says businesses and other venues that continue to house and/or operate skill games risk criminal prosecution and the immediate seizure of the machines. But with an estimated 70,000 skill games operating across the commonwealth before the ban, enforcing the law is a herculean task for the PSP.

The PSP is asking Pennsylvanians to report properties out of compliance with the skill game ban by emailing tips@pa.gov or calling 1-888-292-1919.

Revenue, Jobs at Stake

The skill game industry has already announced layoffs, and many small businesses have told local media that they’ll likely need to cut jobs or raise prices in the absence of skill game revenue.

Host establishments traditionally kept about a third of each machine’s monthly revenue, with the remaining cut shared between the machine’s manufacturer and route distributor/service provider. Georgia-based Pace-O-Matic (POM) is the leading software provider of skill games in Pennsylvania, powering the popular Pennsylvania Skill cabinets.

“We urge lawmakers to come together quickly and pass legislation that responsibly regulates and taxes skill games while protecting the organizations, businesses, and communities that, for a decade, have come to count on this revenue,” POM continued.

While lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in Harrisburg have expressed support for legalizing and taxing skill games, political differences regarding regulation, from upfront fees to effective tax rates, have been blamed for keeping a bill from Gov. Josh Shapiro. Pennsylvania is also home to one of the largest casino industries, and the state’s gaming interests have lobbied extensively against skill games.

Pennsylvania Legislative Deadline

With the deadline for skill games legislation having passed, the Pennsylvania General Assembly faces its next critical milestone on Nov. 30, which is the final day of the 2026 session.

Shapiro, heavily favored to win a second term next month against his Republican challenger, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, has blamed Republicans in Harrisburg for failing to pass a skill games bill.

“My hope is that Republican leadership in the state Senate does their jobs and puts this bill on my desk,” Shapiro said.