No more gambling with public health: Pa. must ban skill games | Editorial
Pennsylvania lawmakers must ban skill games to protect public health, as they are essentially slot machines that harm communities.Summary
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has clarified that skill games are effectively slot machines, and the state’s General Assembly faces a choice: ban the estimated 70,000 such machines that have proliferated across the Commonwealth or continue to allow them for the sake of tax revenue. The editorial argues that gambling has long been a source of easy money for lawmakers, but that revenue largely comes from losses suffered by repeat and problem gamblers, whose addiction is linked to job loss, depression, suicide, domestic violence, and divorce. The piece traces the history of gambling legalization in Pennsylvania, noting that the 2004 Act 71 paved the way for thousands of slot machines and that subsequent expansions have included table games, online betting, and sports betting. It highlights the disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations, with studies showing that 60–90% of casino revenue comes from problem gamblers and that 86% of sports‑betting revenue comes from just 5% of gamblers. Skill games, which have been operating largely unregulated in low‑income neighborhoods, are singled out as a bottom‑feeder in the gambling industry, linked to increased crime and even murder. The editorial notes that a 2024 city council ban on skill games was overturned by the Commonwealth Court, and that Governor Shapiro has proposed a 52% tax rate for skill games, while manufacturers like Pace‑O‑Matic lobby for a lower rate. The Supreme Court has given the legislature 120 days to act, warning that failure to do so could render skill games illegal. The author concludes that banning skill games is the best path forward, but doubts that Harrisburg will protect citizens from gambling ills.
(Source：The Philadelphia Inquirer)