A new Pennsylvania bill aims to regulate skill games with consumer protections, including loss limits, play restrictions, and local control. The vertical currently remains outside the regulated gaming system, which has prompted legislators to explore alternatives.
Machines commonly placed in convenience stores, bars, and gas stations continue to operate without state oversight. This status has contributed to ongoing disagreements involving the skill game sector, lawmakers, and licensed gaming operators.
Ben Waxman (D-Philadelphia) is circulating a co-sponsorship memo outlining a legislative concept that would regulate the devices while placing conditions on player safeguards and local decision-making, reports Play Pennsylvania.
The proposal would require any legalized skill games to connect to a centralized monitoring system overseen by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Such a system would align the machines with oversight structures already applied to casino gaming in the state, introducing visibility into a segment that currently operates outside the regulated framework.
Player safeguards mirror existing standards
The memo outlines consumer protection measures consistent with those used in Pennsylvania online casinos and sportsbooks. These include limits on play speed, mandatory breaks, daily loss caps, and a prohibition on deceptive design features. The proposal also calls for extending Pennsylvania’s self-exclusion program—currently used for both online and retail gambling—to include skill game players.
The framework includes provisions that address where skill games may operate. It proposes limiting or prohibiting machines in gas stations and convenience stores.
Municipalities would be given authority to ban or restrict the presence of skill games within their jurisdictions, allowing local governments to determine availability in their communities.
Revenue allocation for treatment programs
The memo proposes directing a portion of revenue generated by skill games toward problem gambling treatment and prevention initiatives. Lawmakers have continued to review funding structures for responsible gambling programs as access to gaming options increases across the state.
The memo has not yet been introduced as a formal bill. It represents an early step in seeking legislative support.
Pennsylvania lawmakers have debated the status of skill games for several years without reaching an agreement. Proposals have included legalization with taxation, fee-based systems, and full prohibition. Differences have centered on tax rates, oversight structures, and comparisons between skill games and slot machines.
Rep. Burgos has introduced another bill this year that also generates fees.
In the memo, Waxman described the approach as a middle ground in relation to ongoing legislative discussions while placing focus on consumer protection within any regulatory structure.
“If skill games are going to be regulated, they should be designed to minimize harm,” said Waxman.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/04/07/118436-pennsylvania-proposal-seeks-to-regulate-skill-games-with-consumer-protection-measures
