skill gam <S will no longer be, ble 10, lford 1hem.'
Greenwood GamingS Hausler disputes this. "' i ► ve got 2,000 emplorees and pay) 4 percent tax, and so does every other c. uino in the state, so the notion 1ha1 rou etn ' 1 1. u: 1hese mad1ines because the businesses won ' 1 survive is j, �r pmmly false. In fa «, I rhink rh ey would do bener under SB 756 lx. ' Causc it limits the looitions.
"'" The people geuing rt. ally hurc right now are the VF \Xf s and die n(m• profits, because th ey ' re competing with( skill game) mini. casinos dut have popped up cvcrywhcrc across the state. That ' s just a fact. If you cut the sup • ply in half, 1i1e win per uni! will increase. Th ey should gcner: ne more revenue and rh ey will be safer for the consumer, which is chc most imponam thing.•
Pace-0-Matic declined to answer GGB questions regarding 001uumcr $: Ucry, KYC and responsible gaming $ afogu:i rds of it $ Pennsylv: mia Skill machines, bm PO M ' s ClrT made it dear in his nacemem, hat its games should nor be rcgulaied by, he gaming board as provided under 1he Gebhard bill. ' According 10 1he PGCB ' s wcbsi «, d, e agency is 1osked wi1h ' 1he rtguladon of casino and inteme1, based gambling, sports wagering, video gaming 1mninal { VGT) gambling, and fant.t sy sport g,mcs.' Our games fall under none of 1hese a1egorief and are fi.1ndarnenl':.t ll)' di ferent 1han 1hese products," Carr wrote.
" Convmdy, the Dcparrmcm of Revenue, 1hrough rhc loncry, hos a long his1ory of working wi1h rhe comrnonweahh ' s small busio�s and fraternal clubs. Additionally, it is imponam to note that. despite the absence of any jurisdiction or authoriz.a1ion, the PCCB has historically and continuously oppos < d, he skill game indus1ry. lherefore, no, only, re skill g: un <S OnlSicle of, he defined purview of rhe PGCB, bur, heir longS < anding adversari, I position makes the agency unJir to regulate the skill game market."
... TI, e Yaw bill doesn ' 1 provide 1he s., me lev el of consumer protections that che Gebhard bill does,• counters Hausler, " and the fact it would allow somebody beside $ the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to regulate th <.-sc games on its face is absurd. \ Xlh)' on Earth would you have someone besides the entity exclusively charged with regulating gambling in the scate regulate a series of games?
"' The Gebhard bill has: i cax enforcement al'l(I regul:t 1ory sl'ructure which is similar 10 whai VGTs currendy hove. '! lie Y, w bill does nor. ' fhe Yaw bill tax is laughably low when)'O U l'hink about VCTs at truck stops, which arc doingjut1 fine. n
In fact, he sa)' S, truck stops are profitable gaming locations despite a 52 percent tax, partly because of the variety of games from major manufacn1rcrs like AriS1om1,! GT, ncl 1..i gh1 & Wonder.
"" None of the big slot machine manufacturers will come into Pc1111syh • mia and provide games of skill because they don ' t do gray markets," HallSler says. " Once)' Ou ha \' e:i 1:a xed: md reg \ 1late < I mad-e1, yol • will have a produa available 10 1he:<e clubs and VFW loctrions 1h31 rh ey rurreml) ' don ', have, and rhe quali < y of th31 produc <, viU be excdlcm because ii will be a fully regulated and 1:a xed product 1ha1 is buih: ind manufuccurOO by companies who ' ve been doing this a very long time."
Both bills were referred to the Senate Community, Economic & Recreational Developmen1 Commi11ee. A$ of press 1irne, 1he p: tnel l, ad held no hearings on either.
Going forward, Pennsylvania Slakcholdcrs will be, va, ehing for wha1 h:i ppens first-a law rcg1.1la1ing skill gamCf or a decision on their l ega lity from, he Supreme Coun. Action on either front oolJd rc-ndcr the other front moot.