Bars, restaurants and mini-marts across Lower Merion Township that host skill game machines have until Oct. 13 to remove them or face criminal prosecution and asset seizure by Pennsylvania State Police.
State police issued guidance on Wednesday, Sept. 9 warning that enforcement begins Oct. 14. The agency said all skill game devices outside licensed casinos and qualifying truck stops are unlawful. Businesses that still have machines on the premises after the deadline could face seizure of the equipment, seizure of cash tied to machine operations and criminal charges.
The deadline stems from a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling on June 15 that declared skill games are slot machines under state law. Justice David Wecht, writing for the majority, found that a machine does not avoid regulation simply because it includes some element of player skill, Action Network reported. The court gave lawmakers 120 days to pass a regulatory framework. That window closes Oct. 13.
An estimated 70,000 skill game machines sit in taverns, restaurants, social clubs, gas stations, laundromats, pizza parlors and other businesses statewide, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office. The types of businesses that host them operate throughout the township, though no specific Lower Merion locations have been publicly identified in enforcement records.
Unplugging is not enough.
State police said machines must be physically removed, not just powered off. The agency urged business owners to contact their distributors or vendors to arrange removal. If a vendor refuses, owners can reach state police through pa.gov for help.
Chuck Moran, executive director of the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association, warned that liquor licenses could also be at risk. One association member received a conditional license from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board last year over skill games on the property, LancasterOnline reported. Moran said skill games "started to fill a void" after a 2016 law let gas stations and convenience stores sell six-packs to-go, cutting into tavern revenue.
"The advice that we've been given, now that we know for sure that they're illegal, is don't take a chance and do damage to your license," Moran told LancasterOnline.
Whether the legislature will act before the deadline is unclear. Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman said in August that lawmakers had not discussed a solution since July. Legislators return to Harrisburg on Sept. 28 with six session days before the Oct. 13 cutoff.
Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed in February capping machines at 40,000 statewide and taxing gross terminal revenue at 52%. The Independent Fiscal Office estimated that plan would generate $487 million in the 2026-27 fiscal year. State Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon County) proposed a competing bill in early September with a 20% tax rate.
Lower Merion business owners with skill game machines should contact their vendors to schedule removal before Oct. 13 or reach Pennsylvania State Police through pa.gov.
