HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHMT) — Lawmakers have about six weeks to legalize and regulate skill games or risk them being removed from bars, taverns and clubs.
That’s as many as 100,000 machines that could be generating hundreds of millions for the state if only the legislature would act. A Lebanon state rep says he has the answer.
With a deadline of Oct. 13, however, the time is now.
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Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon) is seeking co-sponsors on a bill that not only regulates skill games but completely overhauls the gaming act.
Who gets them? Places with liquor licenses. No convenience stores. How much are they taxed? 20%, far less than casino slots, which some will call unfair, maybe even unconstitutional.
“The Elks Club, the American Legion, they’re not Hollywood Casino or Rivers or MGM or what have you,” Diamond said. “So we want to give those mom-and-pop establishments that have been relying on skill games since COVID. By the way, we want to give them a lifeline.”
Who’s regulating them? The PA Gaming Control Board, which the industry despises. Mike Barley, chief public affairs officer for skill game developer Pace-O-Matic, expressed little belief in the board’s current structure in an emailed statement to abc27.
“While we appreciate the effort of those attempting to support our industry, we don’t know what is in this legislation outside of what is outlined in the cosponsorship memo making it difficult to comment in full at this point,” the statement read. “However, promoting the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board as currently constructed as the regulator is a nonstarter with the skill game industry. Based on past experiences, the skill game industry has no belief that the Gaming Control Board would fairly or timely regulate the industry.”
“We have one regulatory agency that regulates slot machines already,” Diamond said. “It’s the gaming control board. It’s the natural fit.”
Beyond skill games, Diamond would blow up the current funding formula and steer all gaming money to one pot, distributing 6.75% to racehorse development, 1% to gaming addiction program, 13.25% to general funding and 79% to property tax relief.
Using current budget numbers, every PA homeowner would have gotten a check for $702.
“You’re going to be able to see it,” Diamond said. “Because every time I talk about property taxes, people always go to the casinos. We’re supposed to eliminate. They’re supposed to get rid of property taxes. It’s like, well, nobody ever promised that. But here’s the maximum amount we can squeeze from this lemon.”
Diamond is waiting to see if any colleagues join him but adds he doesn’t know why they wouldn’t.
“I don’t want to be the guy who stands up in the way of the resultant billion dollars of property tax relief that this offers to 96% of Pennsylvania’s homeowners,” he said.
There’s skepticism at the Capitol that if lawmakers can’t do a bill for just skill games, how are they going to overhaul the entire gaming structure? One person opined it “sounds too hard and will take too long.”
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