Pennsylvania Attorney General, Dave Sunday, announced the seizure of more than 400 illegal gambling devices from dozens of establishments in western Pennsylvania. Although the machines brand themselves as skill games, which Pennsylvania courts have deemed legal, authorities say this particular line of games doesn’t fit the definition and are nothing more than slots in disguise.
John F. Conley is facing felony corrupt organizations charges for operating the machines under the companies Buffalo Skills Games, Inc. and J.J. Amusement, Inc. Conley has been charged previously for illegal gambling.
In partnership with the Pennsylvania State Police, the Attorney General’s office carried out the seizures in March at bars, gas stations, and convenience stores. Authorities found the machines in the following counties:
- Allegheny
- Beaver
- Butler
- Cambria
- Crawford
- Indiana
- Somerset
- Venango
- Erie
- Washington
- Armstrong
- Westmoreland
Machines not determined as skill games
The Commonwealth Court ruled skill machines as legal back in December 2023. It did not believe that Pace-O-Matic (POM), a Georgia-based skill games manufacturer, games “are not slot machines under the Crimes Code.” POM games contain an element of skill that requires players to exercise some meaningful decision-making in order to win.
However, Pennsylvania authorities did not identify Conley’s machines to be games of skill. Sunday said in a statement:
”These devices were essentially slot machines dressed up as skill games. I commend our partners at the Pennsylvania State Police for helping disband a large-scale operation that netted a tremendous amount of illegal gambling profits.”
Illegal gambling has become more prominent in Pennsylvania as of late. Authorities charged multiple individuals earlier this year in another sting.
The most recent case involved a former POM employee who mixed in legal skill games with purely chance-based devices at establishments across the state. Charged parties went as far as putting skill games marketing on the illegal games to fool law enforcement.
What makes skill games legal
It has been determined by the Commonwealth Court that skill games are legal. Games that are based on pure chance are regulated by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) and are found in casinos. The games are considered illegal if found anywhere else, which is why officials took action against Conley’s sting.
However, skill games “place control in the hands of the player,” POM CEO, Paul Golden, said in January.
In POM’s games, it comes by way of a “Wild” symbol that the player can place freely. To form a winning combination, the player must identify where on the reels to place the machine. They then press on the machine’s touch screen in the correct spot to place their Wild and create a winning payline. This decision is also subject to a time limit, so the player must spot the winning combination quickly enough or else forfeit their prize.
While skill games has been ruled as legal, it has not come without controversy. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is expected to rule on the legality of the machines in the near future.
In the meantime, numerous lawmakers are on board with regulating and taxing the games, which has picked up momentum in recent months.
