The American Gaming Association Wednesday released data from an online survey indicating most Americans are familiar with unregulated skill machines. Two-thirds (65%) of those familiar with skill games think they’re the same as slot machines where wins are based on chance, not skill.
“Unregulated-machine manufacturers have built their businesses by duping consumers and small businesses, while avoiding taxes, oversight, and consumer protections,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller in a statement. “These results are further evidence that Americans see these machines as a threat that should be eliminated, not regulated.”
The AGA and other industry stakeholders are testifying today during a Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Committee hearing hosted by its chairwoman, Senator Katie Muth (D- Chester/Montgomery/Berks).
Skill machines are predominately found in convenience stores, bars, strip malls, and other community establishments and operate outside regulated gaming marketplaces. Previous AGA research revealed that 580,651 unregulated gambling machines exist in the U.S., accounting for 40% of all gambling machines in the country.
The new survey indicates those familiar with skill games view the machines as negative influences in communities:
- 71% say skill machines lack player protections available to players in casinos.
- 64% agree that skill machines are too easily accessed by children.
- 56% say skill games increase the risk of crime and endanger employees and customers of businesses where devices are located.
And after learning that skill machines are taxed at a lower rate and lack the same regulatory oversight as casino slot machines, 64% of Americans familiar with the games expressed concern about the devices in their communities.
“Keeping America’s gaming industry strong, safe and responsible can only be done through the robust infrastructure of the well-established legal market, not by rewarding bad actors with half-measures that fail to address the dangers of unregulated gambling,” Miller said.
Kantar, a data and evidence-based agency that provides insights and actionable recommendations to clients, conducted an online survey August 11-18 on behalf of the AGA. A representative sample of 2,002 American voters over the age of 21 participated. The margin of error is +/- 2 percent and greater among subgroups.
