Published on: April 8, 2026, at 03:26h.
Updated on: April 8, 2026, at 03:26h.
- Pennsylvania has obtained a $5 million forfeiture from two unlawful gambling companies.
- The companies have consented to cease operations as part of their plea agreements.
- Attorney General Dave Sunday continues to target illegal slot machines across the state.
Two Pennsylvania firms, claiming to design and distribute skill games, have pled guilty to felony offenses and have agreed to pay a significant settlement while closing their operations.
On Wednesday, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday disclosed that Buffalo Skill Games, Inc., and JJ Amusement, Inc., have consented to dissolve and forfeit $5 million in cash and assets. This resolution was reached through a plea arrangement.
State authorities have confiscated nearly 400 illegal gambling devices linked to Buffalo Skill and JJ across over 60 locations in various western Pennsylvania counties. The companies promoted their machines as skill games, which have been flooding the state in an ambiguous legal situation.
However, unlike the Pennsylvania Skill brand, which is the most prevalent skill game, the terminals from Buffalo Skill and JJ were unregulated, functioning as illegal slot machines with poor odds.
Sunday’s Charge Against Illegal Gambling
Since taking office in January 2025, Sunday has utilized the attorney general’s position to eliminate illegal slot machines from Pennsylvania.
In February, his office announced a forfeiture totaling $3 million in assets and cash from Deibler Brothers Novelty, a Schuylkill County enterprise admitting to distributing illegal slot machines. Buffalo Skill and JJ Amusement have pleaded guilty to corrupt organization charges for their extensive distribution of unlawful gambling devices.
The Pennsylvania State Police aided Sunday’s Gaming Enforcement unit in executing the seizure of these gaming machines. The machines were located in establishments such as bars, gas stations, and convenience stores across several counties including Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Crawford, Indiana, Somerset, Venango, Erie, Washington, Armstrong, and Westmoreland.
Sunday stressed that illegal gambling operations impact more than just those directly involved.
“Illegal gambling can empower criminal organizations, prey on individuals with gambling addictions, and deceive consumers with unregulated games that offer minimal chances of winning and do not align with self-exclusion lists meant to protect those struggling with addiction,” Sunday remarked.
“This agreement guarantees a multimillion-dollar forfeiture for the Commonwealth, while ensuring these companies will no longer operate. I applaud our partners at the Pennsylvania State Police for their efforts in dismantling this large-scale scheme that involved slot machines disguised as skill games,” added the Attorney General of Pennsylvania.
Debate Over Skill Games
Genuine skill games incorporate elements of skill alongside chance.
Advocates for these games, such as software company Pace-O-Matic and its manufacturer, Miele, argue these games are not purely based on luck and, therefore, do not fall under the Pennsylvania Gaming Act. Some state courts have upheld this perspective, though an appeal is currently pending with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is anticipated to rule on whether these skill games are covered by the Gaming Act in the upcoming weeks.