Daily Gaming Market Brief — September 23, 2026
Top story: Pennsylvania, 20 days out — still three bills, still no floor movement, and the "no plan in the budget" problem is now three months old.
Pennsylvania State Police Just Told Businesses to Remove Skill Games. The Industry Says It Won't.
Pennsylvania State Police say skill games must be physically removed by Oct. 13, not unplugged. Some operators plan to leave the cabinets in place, and that gap could cost bars their liquor licenses.
Chicago VGT: Where It Stands, and Where It Goes Next
Nine months after legalization, Chicago has 65 state-licensed locations, 284 more pending, zero city licenses and zero machines. Here’s where it stands and where it could go.
Every Pennsylvania Skill-Games Bill, Side by Side, and Our Odds on October 13
Nine proposals, zero votes, 19 days. Every Pennsylvania skill-games bill compared on tax, caps and eligibility, and why we put a 70% chance on machines coming out in October.
Missouri Just Proved Its Own Point Wrong in 24 Hours — Here’s Why That’s the Actual Lesson
The Missouri Supreme Court just reversed a ballot ruling in 24 hours — proving that "the courts will handle it" isn't a compliance plan.
When Legislatures Won’t Decide, Someone Else Will: Missouri’s Ballot Ruling and Bally’s Chicago Standoff
When a legislature won't resolve a gaming fight, somebody else resolves it for them — usually not in the industry's favor.
Nobody Has the Model Yet: What Chicago’s Sweepstakes Vote and Virginia’s Veto Tell Every Distributed Gaming Operator
Nobody has actually landed the model yet — Virginia's veto, Missouri's stalled Senate, and Chicago's sweepstakes vote all prove it.
The 45-Day Countdown: What Pennsylvania’s Skill Games Ruling Means for Every Distributed Gaming Operator
Pennsylvania's Supreme Court gave the skill games industry a deadline, not an answer — and the clock runs out in six weeks.