{"id":106446,"date":"2019-06-06T17:31:16","date_gmt":"2019-06-07T00:31:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=106446"},"modified":"2019-06-06T17:32:20","modified_gmt":"2019-06-07T00:32:20","slug":"games-of-skill-could-be-outlawed-by-pennsylvania-legislature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/games-of-skill-could-be-outlawed-by-pennsylvania-legislature\/","title":{"rendered":"Pennsylvania Legislators Propose Bill to Outlaw \u2018Games of Skill,\u2019 Owners Say They\u2019re Not Gambling"},"content":{"rendered":"

Soon after after the Pennsylvania Lottery called for a crackdown on the machines<\/a>, lawmakers say they are introducing legislation that would put an end to the \u201cGames of Skill\u201d that are found at many locations across the state.<\/p>\n

\"Games
Machines billed as \u201cGames of Skill\u201d are being targeted by Pennsylvania legislators who say they should be considered illegal gambling devices. (Image: The Lotto King\/YouTube)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

State Sen. Tommy Tomlinson (R-Bucks County) says that while the games are likely already illegal under current law, new legislation could clarify that position, putting an end to any ambiguity that might exist.<\/p>\n

Legislation Seeks to Remove Legal Ambiguity<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tomlinson argues that the machines are illegal under recent updates to the state\u2019s gaming laws. But that hasn\u2019t stopped them from proliferating at convenience stores and other venues.<\/p>\n

\u201cLawyers are lawyers, and the court system is the court system,\u201d Tomlinson told KYW Newsradio. \u201cSo I think it\u2019s important that we try to take this approach.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Major Scott T. Miller, who directs the state polices\u2019 Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, said that these \u201cgames of skill\u201d are present in every county throughout Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe continue to see an increase of suspected illegal gambling devices within licensed liquor establishments, but perhaps even more concerning is the illegal gambling happening in convenience stores, strip malls, and shopping centers,\u201d Miller said in a press release. \u201cThis bill provides clear guidelines to aid in voluntary compliance by business owners, club officers, and vending distributors, as well as enhanced penalties for those who violate the law.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The bill would enforce strict penalties that start with fines of at least $5,000 on a first conviction. By the time a violator was charged for a third offense, the crime would increase to a third-degree felony with a fine of at least $15,000.<\/p>\n

Tomlinson: Even Games of Skill Can Be Gambling<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Operators and vendors have pointed out that these machines have been deemed legal<\/a> based on a 2014 court case in Beaver County. They also point to the fact that there is at least some element of skill in how they are played. While they look similar to slot machines, users must manipulate symbols in order to win prizes. Typically, finding the correct plays is a simple task, but it isn\u2019t entirely automatic.<\/p>\n

But Tomlinson disputes this characterization, noting that just because a task involves strategy or skill, that doesn\u2019t mean that it isn\u2019t also gambling.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s pretty common sense to know what gambling is,\u201d Tomlinson told WJAC. \u201cThey hang their hat on \u2018it takes skill to win.\u2019 It takes skill to win at poker and it takes skill to win at blackjack.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

For the Pennsylvania Lottery, the biggest issue is just how much money these games of skill are taking out of the state coffers. Lottery officials have said that they lose as much as $138 million each year because of the machines, and that around 20 percent of retailers that sell state lottery products also offer the skill game machines.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThese machines have the potential to cost the Lottery hundreds of millions of dollars in future harm,\u201d Pennsylvania Lottery executive director Drew Svitko said in a press release. \u201cIt\u2019s imperative that we take action now to protect the funding that supports the programs that older Pennsylvanians rely upon each year.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Soon after after the Pennsylvania Lottery called for a crackdown on the machines, lawmakers say they are introducing legislation that would put an end to the \u201cGames of Skill\u201d that are found at many locations across the state. State Sen. Tommy Tomlinson (R-Bucks County) says that while the games are likely already illegal under current […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":106447,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[60,13,35563],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGames of Skill Could Be Outlawed by Pennsylvania Legislature<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Games of skill machines are prevalent throughout Pennsylvania, but lawmakers are now introducing legislation in an attempt to ban them.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Games of Skill Could Be Outlawed by Pennsylvania Legislature\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Games of skill machines are prevalent throughout Pennsylvania, but lawmakers are now introducing legislation in an attempt to ban them.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/games-of-skill-could-be-outlawed-by-pennsylvania-legislature\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Casino.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Casino.OrgNews\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-06-07T00:31:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-06-07T00:32:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Games-of-Skill-PA.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Casino.org Staff Writer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Casino_Org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Casino_Org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Casino.org Staff Writer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/games-of-skill-could-be-outlawed-by-pennsylvania-legislature\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/games-of-skill-could-be-outlawed-by-pennsylvania-legislature\/\",\"name\":\"Games of Skill Could Be Outlawed by Pennsylvania Legislature\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/games-of-skill-could-be-outlawed-by-pennsylvania-legislature\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/games-of-skill-could-be-outlawed-by-pennsylvania-legislature\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Games-of-Skill-PA.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-06-07T00:31:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-06-07T00:32:20+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/8c48bf89dc86da77b4d856c7b3b78d77\"},\"description\":\"Games of skill machines are prevalent throughout Pennsylvania, but lawmakers are now introducing legislation in an attempt to ban them.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/games-of-skill-could-be-outlawed-by-pennsylvania-legislature\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/games-of-skill-could-be-outlawed-by-pennsylvania-legislature\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/games-of-skill-could-be-outlawed-by-pennsylvania-legislature\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Games-of-Skill-PA.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Games-of-Skill-PA.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":720,\"caption\":\"Machines billed as \u201cGames of Skill\u201d are being targeted by Pennsylvania legislators who say they should be considered illegal gambling devices. 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