HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania State Police report that nearly all businesses and organizations visited during a statewide enforcement effort have removed skill game machines from their establishments.
Skill games are electronic gambling machines commonly found in bars, convenience stores, private clubs and other businesses. They allow players to win prizes based on the results of games played on the machines.
The enforcement effort follows a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling in June that classified skill games as slot machines under existing state law. The court delayed enforcement for 120 days to give lawmakers time to establish regulations, but no legislation was passed before the deadline.
Since enforcement began, state police have visited 12,202 establishments across Pennsylvania. Of those, 12,134 no longer had skill games, representing a 99.4 percent compliance rate. Police also seized 14 machines and $1,913.
An estimated 70,000 skill game machines had been operating across Pennsylvania before the court’s ruling. The decision placed the machines under the state’s existing gambling laws, making them subject to enforcement by state police.
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