Pennsylvania: Reading Residents Can Ask Skill-Game Questions Five Days Before Deadline
- People in Reading with questions about skill-game machines will get a chance to ask them on Thursday, five days before Pennsylvania's compliance deadline.
- The session will cover where the machines stand now, recent guidance and plans to begin removing them from businesses across the state, Berks Weekly reported.
- Guzman said there is "a great deal of uncertainty in our community" as the 120-day period after the state Supreme Court's decision runs out on October 13.
People in Reading with questions about skill-game machines will get a chance to ask them on Thursday, five days before Pennsylvania’s compliance deadline. State Rep. Manny Guzman, D-Berks, is hosting a public information session on the machines.
- When: Thursday, October 8, 2026, at 6 p.m.
- Where: Reverb Club, 1402 N. 9th St., Reading
- Who can attend: anyone in the community with an interest in the issue
The session will cover where the machines stand now, recent guidance and plans to begin removing them from businesses across the state, Berks Weekly reported. People attending will be able to ask questions and raise concerns.
Guzman said there is “a great deal of uncertainty in our community” as the 120-day period after the state Supreme Court’s decision runs out on October 13. Business owners, employees, distributors, manufacturers, organizations and families are all being affected, he said, and he encouraged anyone interested to come.
The event is being held in coordination with Pace-O-Matic, a developer of skill-game machines in Pennsylvania. The session itself does not change the law or the compliance deadline.
Why the deadline matters
On June 15, 2026, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that skill games are slot machines under the state’s Gaming Act. These are the physical gambling-style terminals found in taverns, gas stations, grocery stores and laundromats, not ordinary video games.
In an October 5 reminder, Pennsylvania State Police said businesses have until October 13 to comply. From October 14, machines outside businesses licensed by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) are subject to seizure, and the establishments holding them face possible criminal prosecution, the agency said.
Licensed casinos may operate approved slot machines, while qualifying PGCB-licensed truck stops may operate approved video gaming terminals. A location’s license does not itself authorize unapproved skill-game machines.
What police have told businesses
Enforcement may include seizing machines, equipment and proceeds, and filing charges where appropriate, according to PSP. Switching a machine off or unplugging it is not enough.
Businesses with a liquor license should take their questions to the local Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement office. Others should contact local police or a PSP station. The agency has also set up a skill-games help page for businesses.
Guzman’s own bill
Guzman also sponsors House Bill 2793, which would create a temporary transition period for certain skill-game devices. It grew out of the reprieve proposals lawmakers floated in September.
As of October 7, 2026, the official bill record listed its latest action as a referral to the House Gaming Oversight Committee on September 24, with no votes recorded. The committee’s Republican chairman, Rep. Russ Diamond, called for a bipartisan deal on October 5. For now, the bill has not become law, and the October 13 deadline still stands.
Anyone with questions about Thursday’s session can call Guzman’s office at 610-376-1529.
Featured image: File photo of State Rep. Manny Guzman speaking to reporters in September 2021. Photo: Governor Tom Wolf / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
