The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has sent licensees an email on June 12. The email concerns skills games.

The following is a copy of the email …

Subject: LCB notice to licensees re: skill games

Attention Licensee:

In light of recent news coverage regarding illegal gambling devices – games of skill popping up at bars, restaurants, convenience stores and other venues where players pay cash to play a game for a chance of winning cash prizes – the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board wanted to bring this matter to your attention as a retail liquor licensee.

According to the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Lottery, skill games are illegal in the commonwealth. As such, possessing or operating one or more of these machines on your licensed premises may be grounds for the Pennsylvania State Police, Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement to issue a citation against your license. While the PLCB cannot provide you with legal guidance as to whether a particular gaming machine is illegal, citations put your license at risk, both through the citation process and upon application for renewal to the PLCB.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board | Bureau of Licensing
Email: ra-lblicensing@pa.gov
lcb.pa.gov

This email comes two days after a three-hour hearing by the Pennsylvania House Gaming Oversight Committee on skill games. During the hearing, testimony was given by those who view them as legal and by those who believe skill games are illegal. To read a story from PennLive on the hearing, click here.