Despite outstanding financial gains for 2024, casinos continue assault on skill games

Pace-O-Matic (POM), creator of Pennsylvania Skill games, applauds the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) and state casinos, which saw a record $562,368,782 in revenue in November and have broken records every month so far this year.

The numbers for last month follow a pattern set during the rest of the year of monthly revenue surpassing records set in 2023. November’s increase was 26% higher than last November, according to the PGCB. (December figures will be released in January.)

The revenue increases come from slot machines, table games, internet gaming, sports wagering, fantasy contests, and video gaming terminals (VGTs).

As the PGCB and casinos celebrate yet another enormous 12-month financial win, small businesses, veterans groups, volunteer fire companies, and other fraternal clubs across the state are also ending the year hailing the supplemental income they receive from operating legal skill games. Many would need to make difficult economic decisions without the revenue.

“It is outstanding that the state is ending the year on a high note with yet another month of record-breaking revenue from casinos and other gambling enterprises under the jurisdiction of the PGCB,” said Mike Barley, chief public affairs officer for Pace-O-Matic, which created legal Pennsylvania Skill games. “The end-of-the-year gaming numbers prove that ample room exists for casinos as well as small businesses, which operate skill games, to succeed. No competition exists between the two.”

Barley questioned why powerful casinos are targeting skill games when PGCB numbers show how successful they have been in 2024. For example, Hollywood Casino Morgantown saw an 85% increase in revenue compared to last November, Presque Isle Downs and Casino saw a nearly 34% increase and Parx Shippensburg Casino’s increase was 19%.

Barley said he hopes casinos will not use energy and capital to block expected legislation in 2025 that will regulate and tax skill games at a reasonable level. There has been bipartisan backing for a bill that will put guardrails around skill game operations and provide $250 million in new tax revenue for the state in the first year. The revenue could be used to address important state needs. Gov. Josh Shapiro supports taxing and regulating the games.

That revenue, however, is generated only through a reasonable tax on skill games. Barley questioned the motives behind the casino industry’s push for a high tax rate when the current 16% tax on skill games will provide hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue.

“Sadly, after years of unsuccessful legislation and legal challenges seeking an outright ban of skill games, the casino industry is now working to ban them through excessive regulation and taxation,” Barley said. “Instead, they want to kill small businesses, American Legions, volunteer fire companies, Moose Lodges, and other places that count on skill games by calling for an outrageous tax rate. These locations could never afford the same tax rate that wealthy casinos pay. Casinos know that and don’t care.”

Several courts have ruled Pennsylvania Skill games are legal, including a unanimous Commonwealth Court in November 2023. In addition to providing supplemental income to small businesses, the games are manufactured in Williamsport, and 92% of the income they generate stays within the local economy or the state.

CONTACT: Jeanette Krebs
Pennsylvania Skill  
717-418-6106
[email protected]