Nick Keppler , The New York Times; Pennsylvania Gambling Addicts Hope That ‘Skill Games’ Will Go Bust
"These games are based on a skill, like remembering patterns, rather than luck. But they can be tedious, and many players choose not to try to win their points — and money — back.
Because this choice exists, the kiosks are known as “skill games” and were long considered legal in Pennsylvania, allowing them to bypass the state’s regulations on gambling. But a recent ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court reclassified the games as a form of gambling, forcing lawmakers to decide how to regulate them.
Pennsylvania has amassed between 70,000 and 100,000 of the games, according to the state Gaming Control Board. They can be found in convenience stores, bars, beer distributors, grocery stores, vape and tobacco shops and even laundromats. These outlets have deals to keep a portion of the money lost by players, and some say the revenue and foot traffic is essential to their bottom line."
