Pennsylvania lawmakers propose new framework for skill games
Two bills would bring skill game machines into Pennsylvania’s regulated gambling system while directing additional gaming revenue towards property tax relief.
US.- Lawmakers are preparing to propose new legislation that could determine the future of skill games in Pennsylvania ahead of an October 13 deadline set by the state Supreme Court. The proposals would regulate the machines as part of the state’s gambling system while using additional revenue to provide property tax relief and support other programmes.
The Supreme Court recently ruled that skill game terminals constitute gambling, meaning they cannot operate under the existing framework. The machines have remained in a legal grey area for around 12 years, and without new legislation, they could become illegal after October 13.
Republican Rep. Russ Diamond of Lebanon County has said that he is preparing legislation that would allow skill games in clubs, liquor-licensed restaurants and bars, and qualifying truck stops, with a maximum of five machines per location. The proposal would tax skill game revenue at 20 per cent while reducing the tax rate on casino slot machines and online casino games to 49.9 per cent.
Diamond said almost 2.87 million residents could potentially benefit from tax relief through the proposal. “It’s time to modernise our approach, bring skill games into a regulated system ahead of the state Supreme Court’s October 13th deadline, and make sure Pennsylvania homeowners see a greater benefit from the revenue generated by gaming,” he’s quoted as saying.
The legislation would also direct gambling revenue to the Race Horse Development Trust Fund, compulsive gambling treatment and the state’s General Fund. It would establish an annual gaming dividend for eligible homeowners that would increase alongside legal gambling revenue, potentially expanding property tax relief to 96 per cent of the state’s homeowners.
