Latest articles
Kansas Skill Games Remain Ambiguously Legal as Supreme Court Tosses Manufacturer’s Lawsuit
The Kansas Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit by a subsidiary of prominent skill-game manufacturer Pace-O-Matic, seeking to confirm the legality of its skill game Dragon’s Ascent. The subsidiary, POM of Kansas, filed the suit in 2019, targeting multiple entities for their failure to affirm its products’ legality. The defendants included Derek Schmidt, who was […]
Bensalem, Pennsylvania Bans Skill Games; Oil City Looks to Tax Them
Pennsylvania’s Bensalem Township unanimously voted this week to ban skill games within the county, while last week, Oil City proposed an ordinance to tax businesses offering the games. The patchwork approach to addressing skill games’ legality follows the state legislature’s failure to ban or regulate the controversial games. Meanwhile, skill games continue to operate in […]
Charlotte Officials Consider Calling on State to Intervene in Gray Market ‘Fish Games’
A Charlotte City Council committee looking to crack down on “fish game” arcades has asked staff to investigate potential new regulations as it considers asking Raleigh legislators to weigh in. Members of the city’s Budget, Governance, and Intergovernmental Relations Committee raised the possibility of the addition to its legislative agenda at an Oct. 7 meeting. […]
Kentucky Nonprofit Files a Lawsuit Seeking To Recover Losses From Skill Machines
A suit based on a 1798 law seeks to recover Kentuckians’ losses from “gray,” or skill machines. The nonprofit Empathy in Action filed the lawsuit to reclaim funds lost by state residents playing gray market skill game machines over the past five years. Kentucky’s Loss Recovery Act (LRA) allows the recuperation of losses from illegal […]
MGCB Cracks Down on Mobile Skill Games With Cease-and-Desist to Papaya Gaming
The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) issued a cease-and-desist order to Israel-based Papaya Gaming based on an anonymous tip alleging illegal gambling activities. Papaya has 14 days to stop Michigan residents from using their apps, or the skills gaming operator will face legal action. The move is the latest in an aggressive campaign against the […]
Alabama Gambling Bill Would Provide More Robust Definitions and Tougher Penalties for Illegal Gambling
A new bill filed in Alabama aims to battle illegal gambling in the state by strengthening the state’s existing laws. An earlier effort this year to create legal gambling options for state residents failed, as the House and Senate couldn’t agree on the specifics. In the absence of legal gambling, unregulated gaming machines and other […]
Papaya Games Goes on the Counterattack, Accuses Skillz of Bot Use & Deceptive Practices
Papaya Games is attempting to turn the tables on Skillz, making claims of bot use that are very similar to Skillz’s original claims against Papaya. The countersuit, filed Monday, also accuses Skillz of defamation, deceit, and intellectual property violations. Skillz sued Papaya in March, alleging in court filings that it pits its players against house-operated “bots” […]
Pennsylvania Casinos Sue State to Force Action on Skill Games
Several Pennsylvania commercial casino owners are asking the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to determine whether the $1 billion they’re paying in taxes on their 19,000 slots is constitutional if skill games pay nothing. On July 29, casino owners filed a complaint against state gaming regulators and the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. The casino owners want the […]
Skillz v. Papaya Gaming: Botting Accusations Will Get Their Day in Court
A New York federal judge rejected Papaya Gaming’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit against it by rival skill gaming company Skillz. The latter company has accused Papaya of deceiving its users by pitting them against house-controlled “bots” while implying that its real-money contests are player-vs.-player. Papaya hasn’t confirmed or denied the practice in question. However, accepting the […]
Real-Money Toy Cranes & Bubble Shooters—Gaming Companies Look to the 20th Century for Inspiration
Carnival skill games and 1980s arcade classics—more and more, that’s where the gambling industry is looking for inspiration. For all their talk of innovation, real-money gaming companies seem to prefer Hollywood’s strategy of “rebooting” the successes of past decades. Among the new products gamblers can look forward to in the next year or two: Adaptations […]
