Pennsylvania Illegal Gambling Firms Agree $5M Closure And Forfeiture Deal
Two Pennsylvanian enterprises that claimed to create and market skill games throughout the state have admitted guilt to felonies and consented to pay the state a multimillion-dollar settlement while closing their doors.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday declared on Wednesday, April 8, that Buffalo Skill Games, Inc. and JJ Amusement, Inc. had both consented to the liquidation of their respective companies and the seizure of $5 million in assets and cash. A plea resolution was used to determine the terms.
Nearly 400 illicit gambling devices connected to Buffalo Skill and JJ were confiscated by state law enforcement officials from over 60 sites throughout multiple western Pennsylvania counties. The corporations advertised their games to host companies as skill games, which are still flooding the commonwealth in an unethical way.
However, Buffalo Skill and JJ's terminals were unregulated, illicit slot machines, many of which had terrible odds, in contrast to the Pennsylvania Skill brand, the most popular skill game.
Sunday Toughens Up
Sunday has utilized the attorney general's office to rid Pennsylvania of unlicensed gambling machines since taking over as the state's top law enforcement official in January 2025.
The Attorney General's office stated in February that Deibler Brothers Novelty, a Schuylkill County-based company that acknowledged marketing illicit slot machines, had forfeited $3 million in cash and assets.
Due to their extensive distribution of illicit gambling equipment, Buffalo Skill and JJ Amusement entered guilty pleas to felony corrupt organizations.
The gambling machine seizures were carried out with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police and the AG's gambling Enforcement team.
In the counties of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Crawford, Indiana, Somerset, Venango, Erie, Washington, Armstrong, and Westmoreland, machines were discovered at bars, gas stations, and convenience stores.
"Speaking about operations, Sunday expressed his conviction that illicit gambling was not a crime without victims.Illegal gambling can fuel criminal enterprises, exploit individuals addicted to gambling, and rip off consumers with games that are not regulated, provide little or no chance of winning, and do not comply with gambling self-exclusion lists intended to protect those struggling with addiction,” Sunday explained.
“This resolution secures a multimillion-dollar forfeiture for the Commonwealth, while assuring the companies will cease to exist. I commend our partners at the Pennsylvania State Police for helping disband a large-scale operation that involved slot machines essentially dressed up as skill games,” the Pennsylvania AG added.
Conflict in the Skill Game
Aptitude and chance are combined in true skill games.
The games' proponents, such as software company Pace-O-Matic and its manufacturer, Miele, assert that the games are exempt from the Pennsylvania Gaming Act since they are not entirely dependent on chance. State courts have concurred, but the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is still considering an appeal.
In the upcoming weeks, the state's highest court is anticipated to rule on whether skill games are included under the Gaming Act.
