Casinos, Lottery continue attack on skill games despite seeing year-over-year revenue increases
Pennsylvania Skill, powered by Pace-O-Matic (POM), once again is congratulating the Pennsylvania gaming industry on breaking more revenue records.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) recently reported yet another increase in annual revenue for the gaming industry.
Yearly figures show that casinos reported the second-highest total tax revenue ever for fiscal year 2022-23 at $2.4 billion. PGCB says while the launch of online casinos and sports betting in the state is growing, it is still slot machines at brick-and-mortar casinos that are the big driver.
Pennsylvania casino revenues also grew 11.5% during the first six months of 2023, according to the American Gaming Association (AGA), the industry’s trade group. Only Nevada beats Pennsylvania in overall gaming revenue.
The state’s casinos reported $2.9 billion in revenues from January to June, compared with $2.6 billion during the same period a year ago, AGA reported.
As for the Pennsylvania Lottery, revenue went past the $1 billion mark in fiscal year 2022-23, according to the state. This marks the 12th consecutive year the Lottery has generated more than $1 billion.
Lottery players spent more than $3.3 billion on scratch-off tickets last fiscal year. Sales of draw games – like Powerball and Mega Millions – hit $1.4 billion, an 11.6% increase compared to the prior fiscal year.
“Once again, we are congratulating Pennsylvania’s gaming industry on record profits,” said POM’s Chief Public Affairs Officer, Mike Barley. “While the lottery and casinos continue to enjoy success year after year, they lob attacks against skill games. This, even though there is no proof skill games impact either’s bottom line. Clearly, we are not competition for them, and any assertion that we are is either misguided or intentionally misleading.”
The gaming industry continues to oppose skill games – threatening the livelihoods of small businesses, fraternal organizations, volunteer fire companies and veterans groups throughout Pennsylvania. The income generated by skill games creates jobs and locations say they use the revenue to pay bills, boost wages, make business updates, provide charitable donations, and more. Skill game supporters are urging lawmakers to regulate and tax skill games to benefit the entire commonwealth.
“How often do industries come to the legislature asking to be regulated,” asked Barley. “Not often, yet that’s exactly what we are doing. We are asking lawmakers to look past this harmful narrative spun by the lottery and casinos – that is not backed by facts – and support small businesses by passing commonsense regulation on skill games.”
Regulating and taxing skill games would not only support locations with the games, which include restaurants, bars, taverns, VFWs, American Legion posts, and others, but it would also generate an estimated $250 million in annual tax revenue for the Commonwealth.
In addition to providing supplemental income to small businesses, Pennsylvania Skill games are manufactured in the state, and the majority of the income they generate stays within the local economy.
Pace-O-Matic is the leading developer of legal skill games in the United States, creating and marketing fun and exciting games for small businesses and fraternal and social clubs. With games in several markets across the nation, customers enjoy using their skill and patience to win. In Pennsylvania, Pace-O-Matic skill games are branded as Pennsylvania Skill.
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This press release was originally published on Aug. 22, 2023, on GlobeNewswire.