How much skill is in “skill games”? There can’t be much.

A few years ago we posted on luck vs. skill in poker and luck vs. skill in sports. A new one of these came up when Palko pointed me to this disturbing news article, “They Look Like Slot Machines. They Pay Out in Cash. And Critics Say They Are Getting Workers Killed,” which reports: Store clerks in Pennsylvania have been robbed and shot while handling payouts for “skill games,” which are not subject to the security standards required of gambling operations. . . . They look like casino slot machines and video arcade games, but they are neither. They are skill games. Like their name implies, players must use their skills — memory, reflexes, strategy, recognition — to win cash. They don’t solely rely on the luck of the draw, like with slot machines. . . . The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board licenses 17 casinos and 75 truck stop video gaming terminal facilities, requiring them to have secure facilities, trained staff, and digital video recording. Their gambling machines also have to be…