Pa. VFW posts face financial strain after skill games ban

Pa. VFW posts face financial strain after skill games ban Advertisement Updated: 4:25 PM EST Nov 12, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Pa. VFW posts face financial strain after skill games ban Updated: 4:25 PM EST Nov 12, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ SHARPSBURG, Pa. — VFW posts in Pennsylvania are experiencing financial difficulties following the statewide ban on skill games, which has impacted their ability to fund community initiatives. Video above: PSP skill games enforcement. Advertisement For Sharpsburg VFW Post 709 in Allegheny County, the loss of revenue has been significant. To compensate, the post installed pull-tab ticket machines, but officials said these machines are not as profitable. Other veterans' organizations across the state are facing similar challenges. The Pennsylvania Taverns and Players Association said some American Legions and VFW posts have been forced to shut down due to the ban. "Some of these organizations are even talking about having to go back to the days where they were negotiating with the gas companies to see if they could keep the gas on. That's how tight the margins are," the association said. Friday marks one month since businesses were required to remove skill games from their premises. This summer, the state Supreme Court ruled that skill games are slot machines and illegal to operate without a license from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Pennsylvania State Police check more than 12,000 businesses for skill games Make WGAL a preferred source on Google Add Preferred Source Share Infinite Scroll Enabled Top Picks Teen who has autism found alive after missing for nearly a week in the Australian woodlands Microsoft confirms Outlook outage affecting users worldwide Father of baby found buried alive in South Carolina denied bond Nvidia stock falls following CEO resignation