Pennsylvania Editorial Board Urges Skill Gaming Ban, Cites Concerns Over Underage Gambling
The editorial team at The Patriot-News in Harrisburg thinks it makes sense for Pennsylvania lawmakers to ban the so-called "skill gaming" devices. These machines are found in convenience stores, restaurants, and bars throughout the state and resemble traditional slot machines found in the state's 17 brick-and-mortar casinos. The primary difference is that the player must find the winning payline; the machine doesn't announce the win and credit the player's balance.
The most common "skill gaming" terminals in Pennsylvania go by the name "Pennsylvania Skill." They are manufactured by Virginia-based gaming company Pace-O-Matic. Several small businesses believe these machines have been a lifesaver during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Income from these gaming machines is often split between the host establishment, the manufacturer, and the route distributor.
The Patriot-News Editorial Board acknowledges the benefits to small businesses, but they express concerns about the potential risks associated with these machines. The main concern is that these gambling devices are accessible to children and underage individuals.
Although small businesses agree to adhere to the rules, it would be challenging and costly for them to provide the same level of protection as that of casinos - trained employees to monitor the machines, detailed records of payouts, and robust security systems to enforce these regulations.
The gaming machines are frequently installed in areas of restaurants and gas stations that aren't closely monitored, which makes it difficult to ensure only adults access them. While casinos face hefty fines if underage individuals gain access, the Pennsylvania Gambling Control Board has no authority to punish skill gaming establishments for allowing someone under the legal gambling age to gamble.
The casino industry points out that there are no safeguards in place to protect problem gamblers who have self-excluded themselves from the state's casinos or online platforms from using the skill gaming machines.
"We are concerned about consumer protection," said Denise Smyler, Chair of the Pennsylvania Gambling Control Board. "There are no age restrictions. Anyone can go in and play these machines."
Smyler went on to add, "We have 20,000 people signed up for our self-exclusion program, and any one of those 20,000 people can go into these illegal gaming establishments and spend as much time and money gambling. It undermines their efforts to combat addiction."
Currently, there is no specific legal age requirement to play skill games in Pennsylvania as the machines are not considered legal, remaining in a grey area. Pennsylvania Skill machines do advertise age restrictions (18 and older), but their legality is in question.
Casinos' attorneys claim that skill games are a form of illegal gambling. However, in 2019, Commonwealth Court Judge Patricia McCullough ruled that because Pennsylvania's Gaming Act only regulated games of chance like slots and table games, skill games did not fall under the law. Her ruling essentially halted Pennsylvania State Police from seizing the skill games.
The Pennsylvania gaming industry appealed McCullough's ruling to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in March, while there are also legislative efforts in Harrisburg to both legalize and regulate skill games, as well as to ban them. No legislation has gained sufficient support yet.
http://www.pennlive.com/features/2023/04/editorial-oppose-skill-gaming-machines-they-are-an-invitation-to-problem-gambling.html
Read also:
- Games Industry Research: Carbon Emissions of Top Video Games
- U.S. cities with the most Swifties per capita
- Blackjack Casino Advantage: How to Beat the Odds
- Football 101: What is relegation in football?
Source: www.casino.org
