Government

Pennsylvania skill game kiosks face uncertain future after court ruling

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September 1, 2026

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Pennsylvania's widespread "skill game" kiosks, which resemble traditional slot machines, face an uncertain future after the state Supreme Court ruled that the devices qualify as gambling machines, according to a New York Times report. An estimated 70,000 to 100,000 of the machines operate across Pennsylvania, according to the state Gaming Control Board, with devices installed in convenience stores, bars, grocery stores, beer distributors, tobacco shops, laundromats and other businesses.

The machines allow customers to insert money that is converted into points and then play games featuring symbols and mechanics similar to slot machines. Manufacturers have distinguished the devices from conventional slots by including a skill component. For example, players who lose a spin may have an opportunity to switch to another game and use memory or another skill to recover their points. Because players theoretically can use skill rather than relying entirely on chance, Pennsylvania courts previously determined that the games were predominantly skill-based and therefore did not fall under the state's gambling restrictions.

That legal distinction changed with a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling in June. The court determined that a device can be considered a gambling device if it is used partially for gambling. Unless state lawmakers enact legislation protecting or regulating the machines, they are scheduled to become illegal Oct. 13. Lawmakers are considering how to respond, including the possibility of regulating and taxing the devices rather than banning them.

Other states have struggled with the same legal question, with several regulating or outright banning them.