Greenwood Racing Inc., owner of Parx Casino in Philadelphia, recently sued Georgia-based Pace-O-Matic for unfair competition, misleading marketing, illegal interference and negligence regarding its video gambling machines.
Greenwood officials contend Pace-O-Matic’s skill-based machines are illegal, generate no revenue for the state and cannibalize revenue from licensed operators. However, owners of bars, restaurants, gas stations and convenience stores said video gambling machines help keep their businesses open.
Meanwhile, in another lawsuit, Pace-O-Matic, seeks a court decision that its gaming machines are legal and conform to state regulations.
In August, the casino-backed Pennsylvanians Against Gaming Expansion passed a resolution strongly encouraging state lawmakers to introduce stricter measures against skill-game machines, which are significantly impacting the state budget.
PAGE also noted from October 2017 through March 2022, revenue from scratch cards could have been 4.4 percent higher and the state could have collected $200 million in taxes if skill machines were not available in the market.