A Pittsburgh councilman plans to introduce a bill next week that would tax various skill games and amusement devices, ranging from poker machines to pool tables, slot machines to pinball.
The legislation aims to increase revenue for the city without further burdening homeowners, who saw their property taxes jump by 20% this year.
The measure, proposed by Pittsburgh City Councilman Anthony Coghill, D-Beechview, is expected to generate between $2 and $3 million each year, said Blake Plavchak, Coghill’s chief of staff. It does not target games that are classified as gambling.
If Coghill’s bill is approved, the city would require businesses to get licenses for skill games and pay an annual fee to operate the machines.
The bill breaks the devices into various categories. The first class, which would face a $1,000 tax, includes poker machines, video slot machines and video sweepstakes machines.
The next class — which includes any devices that offer prizes like stuffed animals, candy or toys — would be taxed $100. The lowest-tax class, which would pay only $10 per year, includes machines that are used for sport, like darts, pool tables, jukeboxes, pinball machines, shuffleboard machines and children’s video games.
Nearly one in five municipalities across Pennsylvania — including about half of those within Allegheny County — already require licenses for amusement devices, according to Coghill’s legislation.
Violations of the proposed rule would be considered a summary offense, with fines ranging from $50 to $600.
Coghill is expected to introduce the legislation at council’s next meeting on Wednesday.