Supporters of so-called “skill games,” the unregulated slot-like devices spreading in states across the country in a variety of locations including bars, taverns, pizza shops and even laundromats, rallied last week at the Pennsylvania Capitol in support of legislation that would officially legalize, regulate and tax the machines.
The supporters included bar and tavern owners, along with representatives of veteran’s groups, fraternal organizations and others who say they depend on the revenue from the gray-area machines.
“These games are important to businesses across Pennsylvania, and not only to businesses, but to veteran organizations, volunteer fire companies, and fraternal groups,” said LaVar Arrington, a former Penn State and NFL football player who supports skill games, according to The Center Square.
“Veteran groups: Some are only able to keep their doors open because of the supplemental revenue that they receive from skill games. It’s sad to think that if they’re not able to have those revenue streams, then those doors would actually be closed.”
The so-called skill games have seen strong opposition from the state’s casino licensees, as well as law enforcement and citizen advocacy groups that point to the total absence of regulations such as background checks of operators and manufacturers, responsible gaming measures, and age restrictions.
A panel of operators, regulators and stakeholders at the recent East Coast Gaming Congress called the games one of the biggest threats to legal, regulated gaming in the U.S.
“These games threaten the legal industry economically, but they also pose a threat to gaming policies in their respective states, challenging the basic principles of licensure,” commented Michael Pollock, managing director of Spectrum Gaming Group, moderator of the panel, “most notably, that central policy that a gaming license is a revocable privilege granted to those who affirmatively demonstrate their good character, honesty and integrity.”
“Skill machines are, in my opinion, illegal slot machines that are saturating our communities around the country,” said Jeff Morris, vice president, public affairs and governmental relations for Penn Entertainment, who showed slides of children playing the slot-like devices in Pennsylvania and Missouri, and a Facebook post in which a man advertised his expanding “mini-casino.”
“These machines remain an unregulated, unmitigated disaster,” Morris said. “Numerous companies continue to push these machines onto street corners and main streets across the country, next to schools and houses of worship and day care centers.”
The Pennsylvania bill the rallying groups are supporting, sponsored by state Senator Gene Yaw, is still in the proposal stage; it has yet to be released publicly. Yaw, in an interview with The Center Square, did not address concerns such as age restrictions and background checks, but did note that his bill would limit the number of games to five per establishment, with charitable organizations such as the American Legion permitted up to 10. “We’re not going to institute a program of mini-casinos,” he said.
Yaw estimated that the games would generate between $200 million and $300 million annually to the state.
