Pennsylvania’s skill games are officially gambling – so should they be at every gas station?

Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court says skill games are gambling. As lawmakers rush to tax them, a CMU scholar says the debate skips a more fundamental question.

By: Jonathan Caulkins, Carnegie Mellon University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: September 30, 2026

Words: 937

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 4 days ago

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By Jonathan Caulkins, Carnegie Mellon University

Pennsylvania lawmakers returned to Harrisburg on Sept. 28, 2026, after a 10-week recess with little time to determine the future of the state’s skill games. On June 15, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the devices are slot machines governed by the state’s gambling and criminal laws. The court stayed its order for 120 days to give affected businesses time to adjust and lawmakers an opportunity to act.

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