Pennsylvania businesses must remove skill games by Oct. 14 or face law enforcement action, AG warns

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has warned businesses to remove unregulated skill games from their premises by Oct. 14, 2026, or face law enforcement action including seizure and criminal charges, his office said in a statement.

The Oct. 14 date marks the end of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s 120-day stay on its June ruling, which found that skill games are slot machines under the Pennsylvania Gaming Act and may operate only in facilities licensed by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The Pennsylvania State Police estimate that about 70,000 of the machines are still operating statewide, and police guidance says they must be powered off and physically removed, not merely switched off.

What enforcement would look like

Sunday’s guidance said law enforcement action may include seizing and forfeiting the machines, associated equipment and the money tied to their operation, and filing criminal charges where deemed appropriate. He also cautioned that distributors, vendors and manufacturers who keep the devices running for operation could face charges themselves, not only the bars, restaurants, grocery stores and social clubs hosting them.

“We do not want to see searches and seizures at storefronts or bar, social club, and restaurant establishments. We would much rather business owners and social clubs comply with the law and take steps to get these illegal devices out of their places of business,” Sunday said in the statement.

He added that his office, working with law enforcement partners, will act in accordance with the law, which prohibits the machines outside licensed gaming facilities.

No legislative fix in sight

A legislative rescue appears unlikely. Lawmakers in Harrisburg on both sides of the aisle have said they are willing to create a legal framework for skill games, and the industry has asked to be taxed and regulated, though at a rate well below the 55% slot-revenue tax Pennsylvania casinos pay. But with roughly two weeks left at the time of Sunday’s warning, no skill games bill had cleared a committee in the General Assembly.

The games, most commonly sold under the Pennsylvania Skill brand through Pace-O-Matic and Miele Manufacturing, were widely credited with helping small businesses stay afloat during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Enforcement begins Oct. 14, when the stay expires.

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