Pennsylvania skill games have been under the microscope of late. Meadville City Council unanimously voted on Tuesday to limit the locations of future skill game parlors within the township.
Right now, the legality of the machines rests in the hands of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, which is hearing the case at some point in the near future. While skill games have won every court decision so far, momentum is not on its side.
Existing businesses not affected by vote
The vote orchestrated by Meadville City Council enacted preliminary changes to zoning approvals in which businesses can operate skill games. However, current establishments remain unaffected.
The new zoning rules, which goes to another vote for final approval at the end of the month, essentially prevents new owners in Meadville from opening skill games parlors. The city is opening three zones in which businesses can legally employ the machines.
In those legal zones, owners must endure a lengthy process to in order to carry skill games, according to The Meadvile Tribune. Those steps include:
- Requires applicants to make their case and present plans to the city’s Zoning Hearing Board
- Notifying neighbors and allowing them to offer their comments
- Five board appointees vote on the request
Should the final vote at the end of the month pass, which is expected to do so, it gives plenty of business owners time to open establishments in the meantime. However, this a move that certainly hurts skill games.
PA skill games starts to lose momentum
Skill machines had all the momentum, especially after the Commonwealth Court unanimously ruled the games as legal last December. Despite a perfect record in the court system, there has been various events lately that might be turning the tide.
The first of which came in April, when Philadelphia Mayor, Cherelle Parker, signed a bill into law that banned skill games from city gas stations and corner stores, citing increased crime.
The second domino to drop is the Supreme Court’s willingness to hear the case to determine the games legality. The highest court is going to address the following two issues:
“Does an electronic slot machine cease to be an illegal ‘gambling device,’ governed predominantly by chance, if the machine’s manufacturers embed into its programming a so-called “skill” element that is almost entirely hidden from view and is almost impossible to complete?
“Should gambling statutes governing ‘slot machines’ be read in pari materia to supply an appropriate definition of the term?”
The third of which is the latest Meadville vote. Though it’s a vote against skill games, it’s likely the least impactful. The most, without a doubt, is the legality of the games heading to the Supreme Court.
The odds appear to be stacking up against skill games, Pace-O-Matic. But, the Georgia-based manufacturer, told PlayPennsylvania in June it’s prepared to fight:
“We remain confident in the merits of our case, as their legality has been upheld unanimously by the Commonwealth Court as well as in every court where the legality of our games has been challenged.
“Our attorneys will continue to defend the legality of our skill games, which support local small businesses and fraternal clubs across the Commonwealth.”
The Supreme Court does not have a timetable for a decision. The only thing the industry can do is play the waiting game.
