Pace-O-Matic Licenses Family Feud for Skill Games as Pennsylvania Supreme Court Ruling Looms
Pace-O-Matic licensed Family Feud from Fremantle for upcoming skill games, building on the show’s 50-year run. The announcement follows a June Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling deeming POM skill games illegal slots, risking shutdown of tens of thousands of units by Oct. 28 in its largest market.
SCCG Take — This deal pairs entertainment IP with skill mechanics to sustain momentum, but operators must secure legislative clarity or risk repeated court losses constraining the sector.
Pace-O-Matic has entered a licensing agreement with Fremantle to develop skill games based on the long-running television show “Family Feud.” The Georgia-based provider plans to launch the new titles in the coming weeks. “Family Feud” premiered 50 years ago and has been produced by Fremantle since 2002.
Paul Goldean, POM President and CEO, said the show is “jam-packed with high-energy entertainment that lets you test your survey-based knowledge with a side of comedy gold.” He added, “It takes skill to win, and that’s what makes it a perfect fit for a Pace-O-Matic skill game.” This marks the latest gaming-related licensing for the brand. Fremantle reached an agreement with BetMGM last year for iGaming rights that also covered “The Price Is Right.” Playtech has been the exclusive provider of “Family Feud” casino slot machines since 2023, according to Casino.org News.
Legal Challenges Facing Skill Games
The licensing news arrives after a major setback in Pennsylvania, POM’s largest operating market. In June, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that POM’s skill games are illegal slot machines under current state law. The court rejected the company’s position that player ability to alter payout rates placed the devices outside the Pennsylvania Gaming Act. Without legislative action, tens of thousands of machines must power down by Oct. 28 when the 120-day stay expires. POM faced a similar court loss in Virginia, where subsequent legalization efforts failed. The company continues distributing titles in legal gray areas in Wyoming, Texas, Illinois, and Kansas.
The Path Forward for Operators
These IP-driven releases show POM’s continued investment in product differentiation even as core legality questions remain unresolved. From my perspective as a securities and gaming attorney with more than 30 years advising operators, investors, and regulators, popular branding alone will not overcome statutory barriers. Client-partners must treat the Pennsylvania outcome as a signal to intensify legislative outreach in every relevant jurisdiction. The structural shift toward skill-based formats requires clear regulatory boundaries to scale sustainably; absent that, such deals represent tactical moves in an uncertain field.
Reporting: Casino.org News
Popular IP won't save skill games from statutory barriers—operators need legislative wins, not just entertainment branding.
SCCG has advised operators and investors through regulatory gray zones for three decades. When courts shut the door in your biggest market, licensing a game show is a tactical play—not a regulatory solution. The Pennsylvania clock is ticking, and the skill-game sector needs legislative air cover, not just entertainment deals.
- Pace-O-Matic licenses Family Feud from Fremantle for new skill-game titles launching in coming weeks
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled POM games illegal slots; tens of thousands of units face Oct. 28 shutdown
- Similar court losses in Virginia; POM still operating in gray-zone markets including Texas, Illinois, Wyoming
SCCG angle: We connect operators facing statutory headwinds with the legislative, regulatory, and investor relations teams needed to turn court losses into legislative wins. SCCG has guided partners through every major U.S. gaming transition—we know which lawmakers, which lobbying shops, and which capital sources can stabilize these markets before the clock runs out.
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