With skill games banned, some Pennsylvania bars are turning to the lottery's Smart Chip Play tablets
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The Pennsylvania State Police began seizing skill game machines outside licensed casinos on October 14, after the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ruled in June that the machines are slot machines under the state's Gaming Act and lawmakers did not pass a fix. Simply unplugging a machine is not enough, police said. Some Pennsylvania bars that lost them are trying a Pennsylvania Lottery product instead, Smart Chip Play, tablet games that can look a lot like the machines they replace.
A player asks the bar for a Smart Chip Play card, loads $10 to $200 onto it, and slides it into a tablet with 12 games. Plays run from 10 cents to $30. Wins under $2,500 go back on the card or can be cashed out, and the lottery pays larger prizes after a claim is processed. Under the game rules, any single prize over $600 locks both the tablet and the card until the player fills out a claim form at the store. Winning Vault, a match-three game, lists overall odds of 1 in 2.23 on a $1 play. The system launched in 2024 and is at 190 locations, the lottery's website says. The lottery says play data is anonymous and personal information is collected only on claim forms.
Ronald Weagly, co-owner of the Knotty Pine in York County, said the lottery offered the bar a spot in a pilot early this year, and it signed on because nobody knew what would happen to skill games. “We had a gentleman in here that won $10,000 on a dollar bet,” he said. The bar keeps 5% of each play. Weagly said that will not make up for the skill game money. “That money’s not going to be there now, and it’s going to be very difficult,” he said.
The lottery's core business has been shrinking. Scratch-off sales fell from $3.76 billion in fiscal 2021 to $2.88 billion in fiscal 2026, down 23%, and net revenue for programs for older residents dropped to $1.007 billion, the lowest in at least eight years.
| Fiscal year | Scratch-off sales | All traditional sales | Net revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | $3.76 billion | $5.30 billion | $1.30 billion |
| 2021-22 | $3.51 billion | $5.01 billion | $1.20 billion |
| 2022-23 | $3.35 billion | $4.98 billion | $1.10 billion |
| 2023-24 | $3.10 billion | $4.80 billion | $1.22 billion |
| 2024-25 | $2.91 billion | $4.31 billion | $1.05 billion |
| 2025-26 | $2.88 billion | $4.44 billion | $1.01 billion |
Pennsylvania's scratch-offs are ranked by prizes left, and its online instant games are compared with other states in our state-by-state guide.
Sources
WHP-TV: PA Lottery Smart Chip Play tablets offer customers alternative to banned skill games
Pennsylvania State Police: PSP begin skill games enforcement
Pennsylvania Lottery: Winning Vault game rules (Smart Chip Play)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pennsylvania Lottery Smart Chip Play?
A lottery tablet system at about 190 bars and stores. Players load $10 to $200 onto a Smart Chip Play card, insert it into a tablet, and choose from 12 games, with plays from 10 cents to $30, according to the Pennsylvania Lottery.
Are skill games illegal in Pennsylvania?
Yes, outside casinos licensed by the Gaming Control Board. The state Supreme Court ruled in June 2026 that they are slot machines, and state police began seizing machines on October 14. Unplugging one does not count as compliance, police said.
How are Smart Chip Play prizes paid?
Wins under $2,500 go back on the card for more play or can be cashed out at the store. Any single prize over $600 locks the tablet until a claim form is filed, and the lottery pays prizes over $2,500 directly.
Jessie Jurado is a news writer who covers new scratch-off launches, state lottery guides, taxes on winnings, news, and much more. She joined ScratchCheck in 2026 and writes the site's state-by-state coverage.
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