Pittsburgh wants to tax skill games – but the real question is whether to limit them

Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court says skill games are gambling. As lawmakers rush to tax them, a CMU scholar says the debate skips a more fundamental question.

By: Jonathan Caulkins, Carnegie Mellon University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: July 17, 2026

Words: 944

Last Updated: 2 days, 9 hours ago

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By Jonathan Caulkins, Carnegie Mellon University

Anyone who has bought gas or a lottery ticket in Pennsylvania lately has probably seen one: a glowing machine in the corner that promises cash payouts.

There are tens of thousands of these “skill games” across the state, and until last month, no one could say for sure whether they were legal and, if so, who could regulate them and in what ways.

Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court ended …

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