On Dec. 1, 2023, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania unanimously ruled that Pace-O-Matic’s (POM) Pennsylvania Skill games are legal games of skill. Click here to read the Commonwealth Court Decision on the Dauphin County Case.

Our Compliance Team reports illegal games to law enforcement. Individuals who once used illegal machines now utilize legal Pennsylvania Skill Games. Over nine months, an estimated 100 illegal machines were replaced with legal Pennsylvania Skill Games.

Legal games of skill, such as Pennsylvania skill and gambling, are not the same.

Gambling is composed of three elements:
1. Consideration
2. Chance
3. Reward

Like Pennsylvania Skill, a legal game of skill has less than three gambling elements. Plus, skill is needed to win. Legal games of skill are composed of:
1. Consideration
2. Skill
3. Reward

Pennsylvania Skill Games are legal, adjudicated in a Pennsylvania Court of Law, and are ruled a skill-predominate game. Players utilizing Pennsylvania Skill Games can win every time based on skill and not chance.

​Video Game Terminals, or VGTs, are a game of chance — like a slot machine — and prizes are awarded accordingly. Due to a 2017 legislative action, VGTs who meet specific criteria are now legally permitted in truck stops.

Pennsylvania Skill and Pace-O-Matic have studied whether skill games have impacted casinos in the state by contracting with Dr. Peter Zaleski of Meadows Metrics. Zaleski is a professor of economics at Villanova University.

According to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, the casino gaming industry saw $462.7 million in reported revenue in March 2022. That total surpassed the $432.5 million revenue record in November 2021.

According to the Pennsylvania Lottery, profits for the 2017/2018 fiscal year were at a record high of $4.2 billion. They distributed a record number of prizes of over $2.7 billion and generated over $1 billion to benefit older Pennsylvanians. 

Pennsylvania Skill Games have existed since 2014, and lottery revenue has increased in only one year. Now, they are at record highs. It is difficult to argue that Pennsylvania Skill Games hurt the lottery when their profits increased.

Pace-O-Matic Skill Games are also located in Virginia, known as Queen of Virginia, and the VA Lottery determined that their top lottery locations were at establishments that also had skill games.

Unlike VGTs, most Pennsylvania casinos do not oppose Pennsylvania Skill Games. Pennsylvania Skill is only aware of one casino that opposes our games.

VGTs are essentially slot machines, and casinos nearly universally oppose them located at additional establishments.

Yes.

Miele Manufacturing, Pace-O-Matic, Operators, and Locations have paid millions in sales and income taxes.

Pennsylvania Skill supports legislation that would further regulate and increase skill game taxes. If the measure passes, the state could see an additional $250 million or more in recurring annual revenue.

Pennsylvania Skill supports Manufacturing Jobs, Operators, Employees, Restaurants, and Charitable Donations.

Pennsylvania Skill creates manufacturing jobs in the Commonwealth.

Working with Pennsylvania Skill-approved operators, locations, and players can support multi-generational small family businesses.

Skill games provide good manufacturing, operators, and locations jobs in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Skill can help generate critical revenue to help restaurants and small businesses.

Pennsylvania Skill Charitable Giving, created through donations from legal skill game operators across Pennsylvania, was started in 2018 and has provided over $2 million in donations to nonprofits, fire departments, first responders, schools, military service member groups, and other worthy organizations.

An Operator is a business that operates equipment or a machine. Miele Manufacturing only distributes Pennsylvania Skill games to approved Operators in the state. A location like a convenience store would agree with an operator to place Pennsylvania Skill games in their store.

A location is a place, such as a gas station, where the general public can purchase items or use their services.

Pennsylvania Skill games are not sold to the general public.