Posted on: February 4, 2026, 01:32h.
Last updated on: February 4, 2026, 01:32h.
- A former skill game executive has pleaded guilty to money laundering in Pennsylvania
- Pace-O-Matic is the company behind the popular Pennsylvania Skill gaming terminals
- Ricky Goodling, a former state police corporal, worked as POM’s national compliance director
A former executive at Georgia-based Pace-O-Matic, the nation’s leading supplier of slot-like skill games that’s behind the popular Pennsylvania Skill cabinet in Pennsylvania, has pleaded guilty to money laundering.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced today that Ricky Goodling, 59, of Mechanicsburg, admitted to laundering dirty money in connection with payoffs he received from individuals involved in the distribution and operation of the controversial, unregulated gaming machines across the commonwealth.
Sunday alleged that Goodling took bribes while working as Pace-O-Matic’s director of national compliance. A joint investigation conducted by Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) and Sunday’s office concluded that Goodling, a retired PSP corporal, accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from non-compliant skill game distributors and operators in exchange for not reporting their regulatory shortcomings.
“The defendant pleaded guilty to a very serious charge and took accountability for his conduct, which was fueled by personal greed,” said Pennsylvania Attorney General Sunday.
Goodling will be sentenced in Cumberland County Court on April 28. He pleaded guilty to a first-degree felony count of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities.
As national compliance director, Goodling was to ensure that POM’s partners, distributors, and host establishments were abiding by internal regulations. That included making sure that skill gaming establishments like restaurants and bars weren’t mixing in illegal slot machines with their Pennsylvania Skill offerings.
POM did not reply to Casino.org’s request for comment in time for this publication.
Pennsylvania Skills Games Are Unregulated
Skill games are slot-like gaming machines that differ from casino terminals in that they include an element of skill in determining the player’s payout.
Instead of a random number generator solely predicating a machine’s win rate, skill games allow players to complete skill-based tests like a Simon Says memory challenge and tic-tac-toe to improve their odds. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and the legal, heavily regulated and taxed gaming industry it regulates strongly oppose skill games. The Pennsylvania Lottery does, too.
The legal gaming interests say skill games poach play, revenue, and taxes. Skill game critics also say the games are unregulated, meaning they provide few or no consumer protections like fair play and minimum standards for payout rates, and are often accessible to underage people. Opponents also say skill games lead to higher rates of crime.
[Goodling’s] actions contributed to the disorganized and problematic environment in which these games exist in the Commonwealth,” added Sunday.
Pace-O-Matic is the software developer of the Pennsylvania Skill games. The gaming terminals and cabinets are assembled by Pennsylvania-based Miele Manufacturing.
Legal Grey Area
State courts have ruled that Pennsylvania’s Gaming Act does not apply to skill games because their payouts are not solely based on luck. As a result, POM believes the games are legal.
The skill lobby continues to seek a legal, regulatory framework, calling on lawmakers in Harrisburg to pass legislation to set guidelines for how the machines operate. The industry is additionally asking to be taxed at a reasonable rate, one far below Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 52% proposed cut.
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