PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh City Council is scheduled to hold a preliminary and final vote on a new bill to tax skill games on Wednesday.
The proposed tax is estimated to generate between $2 million and $3 million in annual revenue for the city.
If approved, the bill would require businesses to obtain licenses for operating skill games, which include poker, video slot and sweepstakes machines. Each business would be required to pay a $1,000 annual tax.
This vote follows a Pennsylvania State Supreme Court ruling last week that classified skill games as slot machines.
State lawmakers have less than 120 days to decide whether to regulate and potentially tax these games at the state level. There is a possibility that if the state implements its own tax, the city may not be permitted to impose its own tax.
Supporters of the city’s proposed tax contend that these types of games prey on vulnerable populations. Conversely, others argue that skill games generate revenue for small businesses, volunteer fire halls and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts.
City Council is set to convene at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday to cast its vote.
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