High 5 Casino is thrilled to announce its consecutive win as Social Gaming Operator of the Year at the EGR North America Awards 2024. This prestigious award reaffirms High 5 Casino’s exceptional performance and innovation in the social gaming sector.

“We’re honored that High 5 Casino has once again received the Social Gaming Operator award,” said Tony Singer, CEO of High 5 Games. “Beyond our growth in users, it’s the happiness our players find in the H5C community that motivates us to continually improve. Our commitment is to provide players with top-notch casino content, and we’re determined to solidify H5C as the leading social casino brand worldwide.”

An independent panel of judges selected High 5 Casino for its outstanding performance and innovation over the past year. The award recognizes High 5 Casino’s notable commercial success and community-building efforts in the social gaming market.

“The recognition from EGR North America Awards is a testament to our team’s dedication and the support of our players,” added Tony Singer. “We are excited to continue pushing boundaries in social gaming and delivering unforgettable experiences to our community.”

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The winners were announced on June 27 at an awards ceremony held at Midtown Loft & Terrace in New York City. High 5 Casino secured the Social Gaming Operator of the Year award due to its outstanding product quality, revenue growth, and leadership in innovation across product differentiation, marketing, and technology.

Pace-O-Matic (POM), creator of Pennsylvania Skill games, has congratulated the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) which saw an 8.7% increase in gambling revenue in May 2024 over revenue in May 2023.

The funding comes from slot machines, table games, internet gaming, sports wagering, fantasy contests, and video gaming terminals (VGTs). The May revenue total is $520,997,868.

As the PGCB celebrates yet another enormous financial win, small businesses, veterans groups, volunteer fire companies and other fraternal clubs across the state also are pleased with the income they receive from operating legal skill games.

“The increased revenue for casinos and other gambling enterprises under the jurisdiction of the PGCB is good for the commonwealth. These numbers show that there is room in the state for both casinos and small businesses that operate skill games to be successful. There is no competition between the two,” said Mike Barley, spokesman for Pennsylvania Skill.

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Barley questions why casinos, especially Parx Casino, are fighting skill games when they continue to see increased revenues month after month and year after year. He added he is disappointed the giant casino industry wants to destroy family businesses and organizations that count on skill games for supplemental income by seeking to impose a crushing tax rate on the games. Legislation to regulate skill games calls for a 16% tax on skill games while casinos say the tax should be 52%.

“Sadly, $521 million a month is not enough to satisfy the greedy casino industry. Instead, they want to kill small businesses, American Legions, volunteer fire companies, Moose Lodges and other places that count on income from skill games. These locations could never afford to pay the same tax rate that wealthy casinos pay. Casinos know that but they simply don’t care,” Barley added.

Barley explained that POM supports legislation sponsored by Sen. Gene Yaw and Rep. Danilo Burgos that will regulate and tax skill games. There is bipartisan backing for the legislation that will put guardrails around skill game operations and provide $250 million in skill game tax revenue for the state in the first year alone. Gov. Josh Shapiro wants to see skill game tax revenue as part of his 2024-25 state budget. But, Barley added, that revenue is generated only through a reasonable tax on skill games.

Several courts have ruled Pennsylvania Skill games are legal, including a unanimous Commonwealth Court in November. In addition to providing supplemental income to small businesses, the games are manufactured in Williamsport and 92% of the income they generate stays within the local economy or the state.