The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) have launched a public reporting channel for illegal skill games and are urging residents to report any business that continues to operate or house the machines, Casino.org and PennWatch reported, citing the state police announcement. Tips can be emailed to tips@pa.gov or called in to 1-888-292-1919.

The enforcement follows a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling on June 15, 2026, that skill games meet the statutory definition of a slot machine under the state Gaming Act. The court stayed enforcement for 120 days to give lawmakers time to regulate and tax the devices, but no legislation passed, and the stay expired at 12:01 a.m. on October 14. From that date, the machines are lawful only inside facilities licensed by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

State police say turning a machine off is not enough — devices must be removed from the premises, even if they are unpowered or out of order. Businesses that keep them risk criminal prosecution, immediate seizure of the machines and related proceeds, and, for liquor-licensed establishments, fines or licence action. The machines are commonly found in bars, restaurants, convenience stores, grocery stores, gas stations, social clubs and volunteer fire companies.

PSP said it has reached agreements with six skill-game operators and distributors who have committed to rendering devices inoperable and removing them on a rolling basis, providing PSP with full machine lists and weekly status updates; agreements with other distributors are pending. The agency has also published an information page at pa.gov/psp/skillgames for businesses with questions.

The scale of the task is large: an estimated 70,000 skill-game terminals were operating across Pennsylvania before the ban, according to Casino.org and gambling-industry reporting. Governor Josh Shapiro had proposed legalising the machines with a 52% tax, while other bills proposed a $500 monthly fee per terminal under a 50,000-machine cap; none passed. The state legislature's session ends November 30, leaving a narrow window for any legislative fix. Sources: Pennsylvania State Police announcement (via PennWatch), Casino.org, RG.org.