Pennsylvania Businesses Remove Skill Games Ahead of Deadline

Pennsylvania businesses faced an Oct. 13 deadline to remove skill-game machines after the state Supreme Court ruled in June that they are illegal, unregulated slot machines. The court rejected lawmakers’ request for a four-month extension, and the attorney general and state police warned that businesses keeping machines after the deadline could face enforcement. Removal crews have been retrieving machines across the state. Owners of bars, restaurants, stores and social clubs say the games provided important revenue and drew customers, warning that their removal could mean higher prices or, for some, closure. Lawmakers remain divided over how to regulate and tax the games, but no plan was enacted before the deadline.