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9 min read

Banilla Games: A Vendor Profile for Skill Machine Operators

By GamesOfSkillMag Editorial9 min read
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed in our publication workflow. Learn more
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Three graphite-metal rectangular panels nested inside each other at an angle on a dark desk, with a thin lime-green light along one edge and a separate pale geometric block resting nearby.

Banilla Games company overview: Banilla Games, Inc. is a skill and amusement game developer headquartered in Greenville, North Carolina, with listed offices in Norcross, Georgia and Jackson, Wisconsin. It sells board-based platforms including Fusion, Platinum and Skyriser. Its licensing, approval and performance statements are company claims, not findings by any state regulator.

Operators across several states run into Banilla boards. They come up in route conversations, distributor catalogs and court records. This profile separates what company materials say from what courts and independent reporting record. It does not determine whether any Banilla machine is lawful in Texas or any other jurisdiction.

Corporate facts

The company's About Us page and press releases give its name as Banilla Games, Inc. Its website lists a corporate office at 3506 Greenville Blvd NE, Greenville, NC 27834. It also lists offices at 1670 Oakbrook Dr. Suite 325, Norcross, Georgia, and N173W21740 Northwest Passage, Jackson, Wisconsin. The listed phone number is (252) 329-7977. The company says it designs, develops and distributes products for "board, nudge, skill, redemption, and amusement game markets."

Company materials name two executives. An October 19, 2023 company post identifies Garrett Blackwelder as CEO. A November 5, 2025 release identifies Marc Downing as Chief Counsel. The same 2023 post says Banilla's Ticket In, Card Out (TICO) system, which works with gift-card redemption, received the Cutting Edge Award at the Southern Amusement & Entertainment Expo.

Product lines and vendor claims

Banilla's platforms page lists these series:

  • Fusion (1 through 6, Fusion Plus, Fusion Plus 2, Fusion Link)

  • Platinum (1 through 4)

  • Skyriser and Marquee

  • Superior Skill/Lightning Edition and Diamond Skill Games

  • Skyline (8 and 25 line)

The page also lists editions labelled as approved for Nebraska (Nebraska Skill 1 and 2, Skyriser Lightning Edition Nebraska), editions labelled as approved for Wyoming (Lightning Skill 1 and 2 Wyoming Edition) and editions marked for Wisconsin. Those labels are the company's own.

The marketing language is promotional. Banilla describes Fusion Plus as "eight top performing games on one board with new and improved payouts" and promotes a "Follow the Banana" bonus feature. The About Us page refers to "high-earning products." GamesOfSkillMag has not verified any performance, payout or earnings claim.

Licensing and compliance claims

Banilla's press-release boilerplate from March 2023, March 2024 and August 2024 states that the company "is licensed in the States of Georgia, Iowa, and Washington and has games approved for the State of Nebraska." That claim comes from the company, and this profile did not check any state regulator record against it. By the November 2025 release, the boilerplate had changed. It now called Banilla "a U.S.-based developer and manufacturer of innovative, compliant skill-based amusement products" serving "operators and distributors nationwide." "Compliant" is the company's word, not a legal finding.

The About Us page shows logos for GACS, GAMOA, WAMO, OCMA, MCMOA and AMOA, along with Gaming Laboratories International. Trade associations are industry bodies, not regulators. A logo does not establish approval in any state.

Texas: a market page and the reported end of 8-liner boards

Banilla's "Texas" market page tags 13 products: Fusion 1 through 6, Platinum 1 through 3, Fusion Link 1 and 2, Superior Skill Lightning Edition Link, and Lightning Skill 1. The page contains no text about Texas law, approvals or compliance. A product listed under a state heading is a sales category. It is not evidence that the machine is lawful in Texas.

On January 26, 2026, Texas distributor 8 Line Supply posted that Banilla Games "exits that portion of its business [8-liner game boards] to focus on casino gaming." The distributor said its customers could order Banilla 8-liner boards through February 15, 2026. It also said Banilla "will continue to service these game boards beyond the end of production." That is the distributor's account. The post does not cite a Banilla announcement.

Pennsylvania court history

Banilla's best-known court outcome is Pinnacle Amusement, LLC v. Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, 298 A.3d 447 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2023). The Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement (BLCE) seized eleven machines in 2019 and 2020. Yogonet reported that ten of them were made by Banilla and owned by Pinnacle Amusement. After a February 2022 evidentiary hearing, the trial court found the machines were not gambling devices. The Commonwealth Court affirmed in July 2023 and ordered the machines returned.

Banilla's March 21, 2024 release says the courts found that "the 'nudge,' 'hot swap,' and 'Follow the Banana' features in Keystone Skill games constitute elements of skill and not elements of chance." In March 2024, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania declined to review the decision. Declining review is not a ruling on the merits.

Pinnacle came before a broader ruling. In June 2026, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that skill games are slot machines, according to CBS Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Reports identify Pace-O-Matic's machines as the ones at issue. Justice David Wecht wrote the majority opinion, and the court stayed its order for 120 days. Spotlight PA reported that the safe harbor expires October 13, 2026. After that date, State Police say they "may take enforcement action against businesses which continue to possess, operate and/or maintain such machines," including seizure and forfeiture, for devices outside licensed casinos and truck stops. Pennsylvania operators running Banilla equipment should get advice from counsel rather than rely on the earlier Pinnacle outcome.

Intellectual property enforcement

Banilla says it has pursued an anti-piracy campaign since late 2021. Its August 21, 2024 release states: "To date, Banilla has brought 37 cases for IP infringement against locations, route operators, and domestic and Chinese manufacturers." The following cases come from the company's own releases. Their outcomes were not available for this profile.

  • March 2023 (Las Vegas): Banilla said it served lawsuits at Amusement Expo International on Guangzhou Crazy Software Technology Co., Ltd. and Guangzhou YingFeng Technology Co. Ltd. It alleged counterfeit versions of its Fusion suites, including shipments into Virginia (release).

  • August 20, 2024 (Georgia): Banilla sued Fusion Group Games in federal district court, alleging infringement of its FUSION and BANILLA GAMES trademarks. It sought an injunction, damages, profits and fees.

  • November 5, 2025 (Eastern District of Wisconsin): Banilla sued River City Amusements LLC. It alleges distribution of counterfeit Banilla products and brings claims for trademark infringement, false designation of origin, copyright infringement and unfair competition. The release says the suit "seeks at least $4.75 million in damages."

In the Wisconsin release, Downing said: "Counterfeit and pirated goods harm operators, confuse the market, and undermine confidence in lawful amusement offerings." Banilla's suits have named locations and route operators as well as manufacturers. Operators should treat board authenticity as a legal risk to manage, not only a quality concern.

Liability litigation in Philadelphia

In March 2026, Philadelphia store clerk Ahmedein Maham sued Banilla Games, Inc. in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. The suit also names Bridge Market and Wireless, Philly Market and Eman Realty, according to the plaintiff's law firm, Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky. Maham alleges he was shot during an armed robbery at the store. He also alleges Banilla failed to design its machines with safety features such as ticket redemption terminals, which left staff handling large cash payouts. These are allegations, not findings. Casino.org reported no response from Banilla.

Questions to ask before buying

The questions below are editorial recommendations, not sourced legal requirements:

  • Ask for written, state-specific approval documents, and check them with the regulator in your own state. Do not rely on product labels or boilerplate.

  • Confirm which licenses the vendor and distributor hold in your state, if any are required.

  • Document the board's supply chain and authenticity, with invoices that trace back to Banilla or an authorized distributor.

  • Get service and parts commitments in writing, especially for 8-liner boards after the reported end of production.

  • Ask how payouts are handled on site, and review cash-handling exposure with counsel and your insurer.

Our vendor comparison checklist helps you record these questions and the evidence behind each answer. It records diligence. It does not provide legal approval, vendor verification or a profitability assessment.

Methodology

Sources were checked as of October 5, 2026. This profile covers North Carolina, Georgia, Wisconsin, Texas and Pennsylvania, and mentions Nebraska, Wyoming, Iowa, Washington and Virginia only as they appear in company materials or filings. Banilla's directory listing remains unverified. Product performance, payout and legal-status claims are attributed to the company and have not been independently verified.

Sources

Reporting is for information, not legal advice. A vendor listing or the term skill game does not establish a machine's legality in any jurisdiction.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Banilla Games based?

Banilla Games, Inc. lists its corporate office in Greenville, North Carolina, with additional offices in Norcross, Georgia and Jackson, Wisconsin, according to its website.

Is Banilla Games still selling 8-liner boards?

Distributor 8 Line Supply posted in January 2026 that Banilla was leaving the 8-liner board business, with orders through that distributor ending February 15, 2026, and servicing continuing afterward. That is the distributor's account, and the post cites no Banilla announcement.

Did Pennsylvania courts find Banilla machines were not gambling devices?

In Pinnacle Amusement v. BLCE, the Commonwealth Court in July 2023 upheld a trial-court finding that seized machines, most of them made by Banilla, were not gambling devices, and the state Supreme Court declined review in March 2024. In June 2026, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in a Pace-O-Matic case that skill games are slot machines, and that ruling's safe harbor ends October 13, 2026.

Does Banilla's Texas product page mean its games are legal in Texas?

No. The page lists 13 products under a Texas heading but contains no statement about Texas law, approvals or compliance. A vendor listing does not establish legality.

What lawsuits involve Banilla Games?

Banilla has filed IP suits against alleged counterfeiters, including Fusion Group Games in Georgia (2024) and River City Amusements in Wisconsin (2025). Separately, a Philadelphia store clerk sued Banilla in March 2026, alleging its machines lacked safety features. Those claims are allegations only.