Frackville the Latest to Target Skill Machines with Big Tax

Frackville became the latest municipality in Schuylkill County to enact a large tax targeting Pennsylvania Skill machines.

On Thursday night, Borough Council members unanimously approved an amendment to its license fee for coin-operated amusement devices. Council members said after the meeting that this fee will specifically target PA Skill machines and not things like pinball machines and arcade games.

The new fee will be $500 annually. It was previously just $10 and believed to be first enacted in the 1970s.

This high fee follows a trend among several Schuylkill County municipalities that are seeing their own dollar signs in the popular video machines. The Canary has reported on similar measures being passed in Minersville, Girardville, and Pottsville. Borough Council members in Cressona are likely to pass a similar license fee measure soon.

Saint Clair is considering similar legislation but may go a different route to get there. Earlier this month, its Solicitor, Ed Brennan, said he’s not sure the license fees that others are passing or considering will hold up to legal challenges. Instead, he told council members there that they should utilize Saint Clair’s Gross Receipts Tax to target Skill machines for borough revenue.

The new fees that have passed elsewhere range from $150 (Pottsville) to $1,000 (Minersville and possibly Cressona).

Based on its size relative to other municipalities, Frackville has a large amount of Skill machines operating within borough limits. Code Enforcement Officer Nick Hazlett gave The Canary a ballpark estimate of about 50 machines operating right now. He’s likely to arrive at a firmer number in the next week.

Frackville’s amended fees do not apply to machines operating at non-profit organizations.

FULL COVERAGE OF SKILL GAMES TAXES IN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY:

• Saint Clair Advised to Tap Brakes on Copycat Skill Machine Ordinance, Consider Gross Receipts Tax Instead
• Cressona Set to Pass Massive Tax on PA Skill Machines
• Pottsville Doubling Tax on Skill Machines for 2025
• Minersville Jacks Up Tax on Skill Machines in Borough
• Schuylkill County Exploring Taxes on Pennsylvania Skill Games Machines
• Girardville Plans to Implement New Tax on Skill Machines

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