Four Days Out: The Pennsylvania Extension Petition Is Back, Smaller, and Without Its Biggest Name
United Gaming Advisors / Monte Cristo Gaming — October 9, 2026
Key takeaways for gaming operators and advisors: Four days remain before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s October 13 skill-games cutoff, and State Police say seizures can begin October 14. The extension petition was refiled without the sponsorship memo and without Rep. Danilo Burgos as a petitioner (WESA, October 9). Pace-O-Matic and 47 House Republicans are now pressing for a delay, but the Burgos concept still has no bill number. Senator Jay Costa told KDKA he does not expect an extension, so plan for removal.
Yesterday we told you the petition was withdrawn and that a refiling was unclear. That is now answered: it came back, narrower.
What changed. According to WESA, the lawmakers’ attorney withdrew the request and then refiled it without the sponsorship memo or sponsor list. Burgos, whose proposal would charge $500 per machine per month with proceeds going to transportation and first responders, is no longer a petitioner. The remaining petitioners are Rep. Jonathan Fritz and Sens. Anthony Williams and Gene Yaw. The proposal has not been formally introduced or assigned a bill number, and the web page that hosted the memo is gone. WESA dates the refiling to “Wednesday, October 8”; October 8 was a Thursday, and other outlets put the first withdrawal on Wednesday, October 7, so we are saying October 7–8.
Industry weighs in. On Thursday, October 8, Pace-O-Matic asked the court to hold off, citing six pending bills, none of which has cleared committee. A separate letter drafted by Rep. Eric Davanzo and signed by 47 Republicans and three others asks for a delay to protect small businesses and nonprofits. The filing also warns that returning seized machines would be a major undertaking.
Politics. Governor Shapiro reaffirmed support for a 52% tax rate in Wednesday night’s debate, and some Democrats are holding there. Rep. Russ Diamond, the Republican chair on the House Gaming Oversight Committee, opposes the transportation set-aside and says a Democratic member was “slapped down” by his own leadership. Some observers think a deal is possible, but not by October 13.
Nonprofits. The Senate passed SB 995 and SB 465, 49-0, to expand small games of chance (a higher weekly prize cap and a 50% retention share). They sit in a House committee. They help clubs at the margin but do not replace skill-game revenue.
What operators should do now. First, confirm removal dates and who is responsible at every location. Second, log machine counts and serial numbers before anything moves. Third, prepare staff and patron messaging for October 14. Fourth, keep a re-deployment checklist ready in case a framework passes later.
Chicago: counts. From the Illinois Gaming Board lists filtered to City = Chicago: 64 licensed establishments (latest status date September 3) and 291 pending applications (289 establishments, one veterans establishment, one truck stop; latest status date October 8). Pending is up two from yesterday’s count. We found no new Chicago City Council action and no confirmed new developments in Missouri, Georgia, Texas, Nevada, West Virginia, Montana, Oregon or Nebraska.
Need a Pennsylvania wind-down or contingency plan before October 13? Reach out.
