Skill games: going, going, soon to be all gone in Delaware County.
The video-slot style machines that can be found in bars, convenience stores, gas stations and veterans posts and other nonprofits around Delaware County and beyond are being removed or have been removed from unlicensed establishments.
In June, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ruled that skill games are in fact “slot machines” as defined in the Gaming Act and as such considered gambling devices under the Crimes Code. On Friday, the high court denied requests to extend the deadline and an attempt at a stay was denied.
Pennsylvania skill game proponents claim players use critical thinking and pattern recognition to win at the games, which the proponents maintain are based on skill rather than luck.
On Tuesday morning, a Daily Times random survey of locations in Havertown, Upper Darby and Brookhaven found most devices had been removed.
The stools to play skill games are still lined up at the Freedom Fuels in Brookhaven. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)
At McCawley’s Irish Pub on West Chester Pike in Upper Darby the machines were removed during the weekend. At the Freedom Fuels station at 3919 Edgmont Ave. in Brookhaven, stools to play the machines were still there but the games were gone.
At a Suncoco station at 400 E. Township Line in Havertown, a clerk said they had been removed Monday night and warned any vouchers for the machines needed to be cashed in.
The Daily Times found at least two machines still in the county, although those machines were not operational.
On Tuesday morning at the Upper Darby American Legion Post 214, Richard Blye, commander of the Sons at the Post, was awaiting for a truck to come pick up the two machines they have in the canteen stationed next to the jukebox.
A notice alerts customers that the Pennsylvania Skill games at the Upper Darby American Legion Post 214, have been disabled. State police has said it is not enough to just disable the game, but to get rid of them. However, anyone with liquor license is encouraged to contact troopers for further instructions. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)
Blye said that at the post, the machines have been there about two years and increased foot traffic and the amount of cash it brought to the post. He said the money wasn’t that significant but it helped pay some bills. He estimated people would play them for about an hour at a time.
“It was essentially for when we were open for events, or some of the veterans or guests would come up and play it,” Blye said. “It was just here for a skills game, a distraction from the jukebox or televisions,” he said. “It did generate revenue but we have to follow the law.
“It’s play, play, play and I guess like a slot machine, you have to match up,” Blye said. “It accepts money and there is a voucher system, so there is a payout.”
He said the post was in alignment with pending legislation to keep the machines.
“Some people feel as though this (removing them) benefits the casinos,” Blye said. “That’s the common refrain we’re hearing: The casinos are losing foot traffic, losing revenue … because these games are in local places.”
Blye said that about a month ago, as soon as the post knew they were going to become illegal, they turned the machines off and placed signs on the machines alerting customers of the changing legalities on the devices.
Those notices state the software to play the games had been removed and the terminal disabled.
It urged customers to contact elected state representatives to support common sense legislation that protects local establishments and upholds the rights of Pennsylvanians to make their own choice to play skill games.
It urged customers to go to the website https://joinpatap.com to take action.
The Pennsylvania State Police has launched a webpage, pa.gov/psp/skillgames, that offers resources and contact information regarding the state Supreme Court skill games decision and compliance requirements, troopers said in a news release.
Troopers said establishments with a liquor license should contact the department’s local Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement office for help. Establishments without a liquor license should contact the local police department or state police station for help.
Troopers at the Media station have not said if they will be cracking down on machines in the county. It was unclear if they would find any places to raid if they decided to on Wednesday.
As Blye was explaining how the skill games help the post, he got a phone call: Tuesday’s scheduled pick up had been delayed.
“Look at that fresh news we’re getting,” Blye said.
In Harrisburg on Tuesday there appeared to be no work on an eleventh-hour deal.
One bill, introduced last year by state Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Lycoming, would set a $500 fee per machine per month, and would cap the number of terminals at 50,000 statewide.
Another, introduced by state Rep. Russ Diamond, R-Lebanon, would levy a 20% gross revenue tax on the machines.
Other proposals, including one from state Sen. Chris Gebhard, R-Lebanon, have suggested setting a 35% tax rate on the machines.
On the Democratic side, Gov. Josh Shapiro earlier this year proposed a 52% tax, a rate that would match the state tax on slot machines in casinos.
But negotiations between backers of the proposals produced no agreement, and now the implications of the stalemate are bearing down on business owners.
“To remove them all is a very difficult process, which requires a lot of extra labor, so they had to start early,” said Doug Sprankle, president of the Pennsylvania Taverns and Players Association.
Skill games have been around in Pennsylvania for more than a decade, operating inside gas stations, laundry mats and nonprofits like fire stations and VFWs. Under the Gaming Act, only licensed casinos and truck stops can have the video game terminals.
“Everybody’s just restructuring their organizations,” Sprankle said. “We’re hopeful that with continued support and advocacy that [lawmakers] can revisit the subject after the elections and get something passed that makes it a pathway for regulated skill games that allows widespread participation.”
VFWs and other nonprofits will now be seeking new ways to plug any revenue deficits in the absence of the skill games.
Various wire reports contributed to this article.