Pennsylvania Skill Congratulates Casinos on $504 Million in April Revenue
20 Mayo 2024 - 12:30PM
Pennsylvania Skill, powered by Pace-O-Matic (POM), applauded the
April revenue reports that show the gaming industry in the state
made more than $504 million for the third time since April of last
year. Pennsylvania gaming grossed nearly $1.7 billion in commercial
revenue in just the first three months of 2024, second only to the
casino capital of the United States, Nevada.
The funding comes from slot machines, table games, internet
gaming, sports wagering, fantasy contests and video gaming
terminals (VGTs).
As the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) celebrates yet
another big financial month, however, casinos continue to falsely
claim their revenue is impacted by skill games.
“We want to know what the revenue number is that casinos need to
hit, or the next record they need to break before they stop
claiming skill games are competition,” said Mike Barley, chief
public affairs officer for POM. “Every month, we read about their
incredible revenue gains, and then the casino industry turns around
and claims they are losing money because of skill games. Their
arguments don’t pass the smell test.”
Instead of battling skill games, Barley said casinos should
support 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 place guardrails around skill
game operations and provide as much as $250 million in skill game
state tax revenue in just the first year. Gov. Josh Shapiro wants
to see skill game tax revenue as part of his 2024-25 state
budget.
Given the casino industry revenue gains so far this year, it is
hard to understand why they are crying wolf. “It’s difficult to see
how skill games are causing hardship for a billion-dollar
industry,” Barley said, adding that there is room for both gambling
and skill games in the Commonwealth. Since skill games entered the
marketplace, gambling revenue has increased and broken records.
Several courts have ruled Pennsylvania Skill games are legal,
including a unanimous Commonwealth Court last year. In addition to
providing supplemental income to small businesses, many
Pennsylvania Skill games are manufactured in Williamsport, and over
90 percent of the income they generate stays within the local
economy and the state.
The baseless accusations, Barley explained, are an assault on
small businesses, veterans groups, volunteer fire companies and
other fraternal clubs across the state that count on legal skill
games to make ends meet. Small business owners with skill games in
their establishments are saying the revenue has saved their
businesses.
Many of these locations rely on income from skill games to offer
competitive wages and benefits to their employees, who are often
heads of households supporting their families. This is what
struggling families need right now, not another roadblock, Barley
explained.
The proposed legislation limits the number of skill games per
establishment to no more than five in LCB and lottery-licensed
locations and up to ten at fraternal clubs.
Skill game distributors, operators and locations will be
licensed and regulated through the Department of Revenue. The
Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control &
Enforcement and local law enforcement in counties of the first
class would be responsible for policing the skill game industry,
helping to crack down on illegal games encroaching on communities
across the Commonwealth.
“Backing this legislation means speaking up for the little guy -
volunteer fire companies, VFW posts, mom-and-pop shops, fraternal
clubs, small businesses and their employees. I believe
Pennsylvanians can sleep comfortably knowing that the big
internationally owned casinos will continue to survive on their
record profits.” Barley said.
Jeanette Krebs
Pennsylvania Skill
717-418-6106
jk@krebs.solutions