Pennsylvania skill games distributor fears for future as deadline on ban looms

After the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that skill games are illegal, the state Legislature has talked about extensions and laws, but nothing has been done in Harrisburg. As the deadline looms, it leaves businesses relying on skill games asking what's next. 

At Rite Touch Distribution, trucks are normally getting loaded with games to go out to businesses and clubs. Now they are being loaded to get out of the state.

"If it's illegal to do it, then there's no work," Rite Touch Distribution general manager Frank Fingers said. "Everyone has to come up with a backup plan."

The last-second hope for businesses that use the machines and sell them like Rite Touch Distribution would be that Harrisburg would pass some legislation to at least give them more time before any removal by police. The goal would be to have legislation that allowed regulations to keep them going longer.

"We fight, we try to do what we can, but at the end of the day, it's out of our control," Fingers said.

Appeals went before courts on Wednesday to try to give at least an extension of 120 days in the hopes the state legislature would pass something. Some bills proposed in the Legislature called for licensing, monitoring and fees that would go to mass transit, infrastructure and volunteer fire companies.

"We don't know where to go from here," Fingers said.

With no action, workers at the Rite Touch warehouse will lose their jobs. After layoffs earlier this year, anyone left will be without work.

"It isn't right," Rite Touch technician Josh Hillen said. "We have families. Some of these guys have kids to feed. This is how they put food on the table."

Skill games are set to be banned on Oct. 13. After that, state police can start taking them from businesses still using them.