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.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has approved a consent agreement presented by the Board’s Office of Enforcement Counsel (OEC) during its public meeting resulting in a fine of $125,000 against Wind Creek Bethlehem LLC for 10 incidents in which underage individuals gained access to the gaming floor at the casino it operates.

The incidents, which occurred over a 20-month period at Wind Creek Bethlehem in Northampton County, involved 11 individuals between the ages of 18 and 20.

A copy of the approved consent agreement offering more details is available upon request through the Board’s Office of Communications.

The Board also acted to ban, or leave intact an earlier ban, of three adults from all casinos in the Commonwealth for leaving minors unattended in order to engage in gaming activities:

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• A male and a female patron were placed on the Involuntary Exclusion List after leaving a 5-month-old unattended in a running vehicle while the outside temperature was 47 degrees in the parking garage of Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack in Delaware County for 30 minutes while he gambled at a table game.
• A female patron’s request to be removed from the Board’s Involuntary Exclusion List for a 2017 incident in which she left a 4-year-old unattended while in Rivers Philadelphia Casino was denied. The child was unattended for 15 minutes in a non-running vehicle in the parking lot while the outside temperature was 95 degrees.

The Board’s actions serve as a reminder that adults are prohibited from leaving minors unattended in the parking lot or garage, a hotel, or other venues at a casino since it creates a potentially unsafe and dangerous environment for the children. Leaving minors unattended at a Pennsylvania casino also subjects the offending adult to criminal prosecution in addition to exclusion from all Pennsylvania casinos. To complement the efforts by casinos to mitigate this issue, the Board created an awareness campaign, “Don’t Gamble with Kids”.

4ThePlayer.com is delighted to announce the latest development in its expansion across the United States; in a recent meeting, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) approved the Company’s participation in the Commonwealth’s iGaming market.

This achievement marks a key step in their strategic US market expansion and underscores their commitment to growing their presence in the regulated US market.

Pennsylvania is the fourth market, following New Jersey, Michigan, and Connecticut, to license and embrace their player-centric and entertainment-focused games.

An exciting portfolio, featuring top-performing titles such as 4 Fantastic Lobsters and 9k Yeti will soon be launched in Pennsylvania and live across the company’s impressive customer list.

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Chris Ash, the Business Development Director and co-founder of 4ThePlayer.com said: “I am thrilled we can bring our unique gaming experience to the players of Pennsylvania. After the success we have seen with these titles in other states, we are excited for players in Pennsylvania to play them!”

Pennsylvania’s online casino market has been showing a steady growth trajectory with iGaming revenue 40.5% higher at $184.9m, compared to $131.6m in 2023 with online slots revenue alone jumping 35.6% to $125.9m.

4ThePlayer games will be available in Pennsylvania via Gaming Realms, 4ThePlayer’s trusted platform partner.