Pittsburgh wants to tax skill games – but the real question is whether to limit them

In June 2026, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court resolved a decade of legal limbo: skill games—the glowing machines in gas stations and corner stores across the state—qualify as gambling devices. Manufacturers like Pace-O-Matic argued the 'skill element' exempted them from gambling laws, but the court disagreed. Pittsburgh City Council moved quickly, voting to require licenses and charge businesses one thousand dollars per machine annually. However, according to The Conversation, the bigger issue isn't taxation. A Penn State study found one in four skill game players could be classified as problem or at-risk gamblers. The real question is whether Pennsylvania wants gambling to be unavoidable in everyday life, or whether protecting vulnerable populations justifies limiting access for everyone.

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