Pace-O-Matic skill games come up often in the US cash-prize skill machine market, and Pace-O-Matic (POM), the company behind them, has been through a lot of litigation. This profile separates what POM says about itself from what courts, legislatures and agencies have recorded in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky and Texas. It does not determine the legal status of POM equipment in any state, including Texas.
What the vendor says
On its homepage (checked November 2026), POM calls itself "the nation's leading developer of skill games" and says its games "increase profits for small businesses and nonprofits." Both statements are the company's own claims, not independent findings. The site gives a headquarters address of 3450 Corporate Way, Duluth, Georgia 30096. It does not list the states where POM operates.
The homepage shows operator testimonials from Virginia, Pennsylvania and Sherman, Texas. One is attributed to Bill Douglass, identified as "Former NACS Chairman": "Since we put Lone Star Skill games in, our sales have gone higher than they ever have." The site also announces a partnership with Fremantle to bring "Family Feud" to skill games, and it lists products and services including CashKeeper, RouteBoost and TicketShield. Testimonials are marketing. They do not show where POM provides service or whether its machines are lawful anywhere.
Pennsylvania: the largest public record
On June 15, 2026, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that skill games are slot machines governed by the state's gaming and crimes statutes, Spotlight PA reported. A Barley Snyder client alert identifies the two cases as POM of Pennsylvania, LLC v. Dep't of Revenue, which was POM's own suit, and In re Three Pennsylvania Skill Amusement Devices. Commonwealth Court had decided both cases in the industry's favor. According to Spotlight PA, the justices called that interpretation "deeply flawed" and wrote that a skill game is a slot machine "several times over." POM said it was "disappointed with the decision" and that the ruling "does not accurately reflect the facts presented."
The court stayed enforcement for 120 days. On October 9, 2026, it denied emergency requests to extend that stay in one-page orders that gave no reasoning, Barley Snyder reported. A bipartisan group of legislators had asked for an extension to February 10, 2027, and POM and the Skill Games Business Consortium had tried to intervene in support of that request. Barley Snyder gave October 13 as the removal deadline, with law enforcement able to act from October 14.
The Pennsylvania Capital-Star, in a story republished by LevittownNow, reported that the ruling took effect October 14 without legislative action and that the machines "sit unplugged and dark, awaiting transfer to storage." The outlet estimated that about 70,000 machines were in the state and noted that POM "has won five rulings" in its favor. As of June, Spotlight PA reported three competing tax proposals: Gov. Shapiro proposed 52%, Senate Republicans backed SB 756 at 35%, and SB 626 proposed 16%. The Independent Fiscal Office said regulating and taxing the games could eventually bring in more than $1 billion a year.
How the Pennsylvania dispute began
Spotlight PA and NewsWorks Lab reported on August 21, 2026 that police seized a POM machine from Aliquippa's American Italian Club on November 19, 2013, and that a Beaver County judge ruled the game legal on December 23, 2014. Former POM lawyer Wayne DeLuca described the seizure as "a controlled buy, so to speak." According to Spotlight PA, a POM federal court filing said the company needed a person "to put one of its machines into a location in Pennsylvania for the premeditated purpose of having law enforcement seize the device." Beaver County prosecutors told the outlet they were never informed that the seizure had been arranged.
Civil liability
Casino.org reported on November 11, 2025 that a Philadelphia County jury found POM and Miele Manufacturing negligent and awarded $15.3 million to the estate of Ashokkumar Patel, a clerk killed in December 2020 at a Hazleton food mart. In a release, the companies said POM "is not connected in any way with the actions involved in the crime." Their attorneys said: "We will appeal and win."
Virginia
Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed SB 661, a bill sponsored by Sen. Aaron Rouse that would have legalized and regulated skill games. On April 14, 2026, WHRO reported that the veto had come "late last week." Casino Reports said the bill would have allowed 25,000 machines under Virginia Lottery oversight with a 25% tax. In her veto message, Spanberger wrote that the bill "would strain an already fragmented system." VPM reported on April 21 that supporters did not have the two-thirds majority needed to override the veto, so skill games likely remain outlawed. Del. Cliff Hayes told VPM that about 90,000 machines are in illegal use. Casino Reports wrote that POM designed its Queen of Virginia Skill 2 machines "to comply with the state law as written." That description is the outlet's, not a legal finding.
Kentucky
In 2024, Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd upheld HB 594 (2023), the state's ban on "gray machines," in a lawsuit in which POM was one of the plaintiffs, the Kentucky Lantern reported. He wrote: "The Court is not persuaded that HB 594 targeted Burning Barrel because of its expressive content."
Texas: a narrow ruling and a contrary advisory opinion
Lone Star Skill describes its product as a "Lone Star Skill game, powered by Pace-O-Matic." Its legal page cites findings of fact and conclusions of law dated March 18, 2024, by Judge Blake of the 336th District Court in Fannin County, in Cause No. CV-23-46347 (In re: Five "Lonestar Skill Machines" and $2,867.85 in United States Currency). The page quotes the court as saying "chance plays no part in the award of a prize." The site does not say who operates it, and the record it presents comes from the vendor's side.
The Dallas Morning News reported on May 20, 2026 that law enforcement seized five machines and cash from a Quick Stop Food Store in Fannin County. According to the paper, former Judge Laurine Blake found the machines to be games of skill, and the Sixth Appellate District affirmed that finding on a 2-1 vote. Three legal experts told the paper the outcome could have been very different if the appeals court had been given more details. POM spokeswoman Rachel Albritton told the paper: "Our games have been ruled legal in Texas as they meet the standard to qualify as games of skill as set forth in statute."
In June 2026, Texas Attorney General opinion KP-0520 took a contrary general view, according to the Public Gaming Research Institute. Sen. Bob Hall requested the opinion in March 2026. It concludes that machines combining chance and skill are illegal gambling devices if chance plays any role in whether a player obtains something of value. The opinion states: "A pig wearing lipstick remains a pig." PGRI notes that AG opinions are advisory and do not bind Texas courts.
The statute contains a relevant exclusion. Texas Penal Code §47.01(4)(B) excludes contrivances "designed, made, and adapted solely for bona fide amusement purposes" that reward the player only with noncash merchandise prizes, toys or novelties, or with representations redeemable for them. The wholesale value of the reward from a single play cannot exceed 10 times the amount charged to play once or $5, whichever is less.
The Fannin County findings covered five specific seized machines in a single case. They do not establish lawful status for other machines, software or locations. This profile does not conclude that POM provides service anywhere in Texas.
Vendor claim versus the record
| Claim or topic | Source type | What the record shows |
|---|---|---|
| "Nation's leading developer of skill games" | Vendor website | Self-description; not independently verified |
| Duluth, Georgia headquarters | Vendor website | Address only; no states of operation listed |
| Games increase small-business profits | Vendor website, testimonials | Marketing; no independent profitability data reviewed |
| "Ruled legal in Texas" | Spokeswoman quote, vendor-affiliated site | One Fannin County case involving five machines, affirmed 2-1 per the Dallas Morning News; AG opinion KP-0520 takes a contrary advisory view |
| Pennsylvania | Court ruling, law-firm alerts, news | Supreme Court held skill games are slot machines; ruling took effect October 14, 2026 |
| Virginia | News reports | SB 661 vetoed; VPM reports the games likely remain outlawed |
| Kentucky | News report of court ruling | 2024 Franklin Circuit decision upheld HB 594 ban |
Operator diligence
The following is our editorial recommendation, not a sourced legal requirement. Operators comparing suppliers can use the vendor comparison checklist to record their questions and the evidence they find. Useful questions include: which court rulings apply to which specific devices, what each state's current enforcement posture is, what the contract says about removal or disablement if the law changes, and how liability is allocated. The worksheet records questions and evidence. It does not provide legal approval or vendor verification, and it is not a measure of machine profitability.
About this profile
The vendor website was checked in November 2026. The sources cited here are of different kinds, and each establishes something different: the vendor site (what POM says), the vendor-affiliated Lone Star Skill site (a record presented by the vendor's side), an attorney general opinion (advisory), law-firm client alerts, and news and trade outlets (attributed reporting). This profile does not establish POM's service area or the legal status of its equipment in any state.
Prepared with AI assistance from the research sources listed below.
Related reading
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Pennsylvania Skill Games Ban Enforcement Begins After Supreme Court Ruling
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Who Can Be Charged Under Texas's Gambling Device Possession Law?
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Before You Testify: A Checklist for Skill Industry Hearings in Texas
Sources
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Pace-O-Matic homepage (vendor self-description)
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Barley Snyder: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Rules Skill Games Are Slot Machines
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Barley Snyder: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Denies Extension Request
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Pennsylvania Capital-Star via LevittownNow, October 19, 2026
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Lone Star Skill legal page (vendor-affiliated)
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.