Pennsylvania businesses have until October 13 to remove video betting terminals commonly known as “skill games,” with state police preparing to seize the machines and pursue potential criminal charges once enforcement begins October 14.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office has estimated that about 70,000 gaming machines have been installed across the Commonwealth. The devices have become common in convenience stores, gas stations and other establishments, including in Philadelphia, while their legality has been debated for years. Supporters have maintained that the games depend on skill.
Pennsylvania State Police said in a September 9 statement that anyone “possessing, operating and/or maintaining such machines are subject to criminal prosecution and immediate seizure of the machines as of Oct. 14, 2026.”
Businesses were advised to contact distributors or vendors to arrange for the removal of the machines. State police said unplugging “an otherwise operable machine” would not satisfy the requirements and encouraged store owners to contact PSP proactively if they need assistance removing the devices.
The enforcement follows a June ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which found that the machines are essentially slot machines and that both state gambling laws and the criminal code apply to them. The justices concluded that the devices are indistinguishable from slots and should be governed by the same laws, but delayed the effect of the ruling for four months to allow businesses time to comply.
Once that period expires, only licensed casinos and qualifying licensed truck stops will be permitted to possess slot machines or video gaming terminals in Pennsylvania. Those devices must also be inspected and approved by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
The ruling came after years of political and regulatory debate over the terminals. Proposals to legalize and tax skill games have repeatedly been introduced in Harrisburg, but none has cleared Pennsylvania’s politically divided legislature. Gaming manufacturers and some business owners have argued that income from the machines is important to the continued operation of smaller businesses and fraternal clubs.
Philadelphia officials have taken a more restrictive position. City Council has sought to limit skill games in recent years, with some members arguing that they create public safety concerns and target vulnerable residents. Following the Supreme Court ruling, Mayor Cherelle Parker described the terminals as “predatory.”
“In no way, shape or form do I think these slot machines should be in our neighborhoods already struggling from socio-economic and public safety issues,” she said in a June 16 statement. “If they are going to go anywhere, they should be in private clubs and casinos.”