Pennsylvania police warn sweepstakes operators as skill game compliance reaches 99.4%
Police say alternative payment methods do not necessarily make sweepstakes machines legal. Officers have seized 14 machines and $1,913.
Key points
- Police found skill games removed at 12,134 of the 12,202 establishments visited since October 14.
- Authorities seized 14 machines and $1,913 during the enforcement campaign.
- Police warned that sweepstakes machines using alternative payment methods could still violate state law.
- The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that skill game terminals are illegal slot machines.
Pennsylvania State Police said 99.4% of establishments visited during a crackdown had removed illegal skill games, while warning that businesses offering sweepstakes machines could also face criminal charges.
Officers found that 12,134 of the 12,202 establishments they had visited since October 14 no longer had the games. Police seized 14 machines and $1,913 during the enforcement period, according to CDC Gaming Reports.
The inspections followed a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling that classified the skill game terminals as illegal slot machines. The court said only locations licensed by state gaming regulators may offer gaming machines.
After its June 15 ruling, the court provided a 120-day safe harbor that protected businesses with skill games from prosecution. Police began enforcement on October 14, when that period expired.
Authorities said some operators and manufacturers are introducing sweepstakes machines that do not take cash directly. Operators claim the payment arrangement makes the machines legal, but police warned that devices using alternative payment methods may still breach state law.
Police said no manufacturer or operator had asked them to assess the legality of those devices before placing them in businesses.
Distributors of these devices and establishments hosting them could face criminal charges for unlawful gambling and other related offenses if they continue operating these machines.
Police said the court's decision extends beyond devices described as skill games to games whose outcomes depend on chance, skill or both. They said that scope applies regardless of whether a game uses a random number generator or a finite pool of outcomes.
Investigations remain active at locations that have not voluntarily removed the skill games, police said.
Sources
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