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Today's newsletter is 937 words, a 3.5-minute read.

Skill games throughout Pennsylvania are facing an effective ban in mid-October — unless state legislators find a solution.

Why it matters: The fight over the ubiquitous tabletop machines in gas stations and corner stores is at a tipping point after years of the games going unregulated and untaxed.

Catch up quick: The state Supreme Court ruled over the summer that skill games are slot machines "several times over" and must abide by state gambling laws.

State of play: Pennsylvania's divided government has put forward a handful of proposals to regulate and tax skill games but hasn't reached a consensus.

• State police are warning business owners that are operating illegal skill games they will face enforcement beginning Oct. 14 — if state lawmakers don't act.
• That includes possible confiscation and forfeiting the machines.
• Businesses cannot simply unplug their skill games — they must remove them entirely.

Worth noting: Skill game machines can continue operating at locations licensed by the state Gaming Control Board: casinos and truck stops.

The big picture: An estimated 70,000 skill games are operating across Pennsylvania. The machines are both celebrated and maligned, depending on whom you're asking.

• 👍 For: Small businesses, gas stations, American Legions and stop-and-goes see skill games as a boon to their business.
• 👎 Against: Critics say the casino-like machines are a nuisance and a danger to communities, while Parx Casino has blamed them for crime and money laundering.

🤯 1 stunning fact: Skill games far exceed the number of regulated casino slot machines, per the state attorney general's website.

Zoom in: In Philly proper, most skill games are found in economically depressed areas, including Kensington and Olney, per The Trace.

• Meanwhile, few are found in well-to-do neighborhoods like Chestnut Hill.

Flashback: Philly's attempts to regulate skill games in 2024 were later blocked by a state court.

What we're watching: If a statewide ban goes into effect, local municipal police may take their own enforcement action, a state police spokesperson tells Axios.

• Philly police as well as Mayor Cherelle Parker's administration declined Axios' request for comment.

Read what they're saying

Philly's international airport could win some serious brownie points if it were to add more comfortable seating options, per Axios Philadelphia's latest poll.

By the numbers: More plentiful and comfy seating topped readers' wish list when it comes to how the airport can improve the customer experience, accounting for 28% of the roughly 100 people who responded.

• 🔌 2nd place: More outlets for charging devices — 22%.
• 🧳 3rd: Real-time estimates for when a flight's luggage will appear in the baggage claim — 20%.

Catch up quick: Philly recently ranked last in JD Power's latest customer satisfaction index for large airports.

• Philly has maintained its bottom-of-the-barrel ranking for several years running when it comes to several measures, including departure/arrival experience, eats, staff and facilities.

What you're saying: Here's what else our readers suggested:

• 🚰 Water refill stations! It's ridiculous how some terminals don't have any.
• ✨ American Airlines terminals need a revamp. The lines are unnecessarily confusing and congested. Bag-tag and bag-drop lines are convoluted.
• 🐂 More space — sometimes you feel like herded cattle.
• 🧑‍💻 Better customer service.
• 🧳 Baggage claim is confusing and not clear where to go to claim your luggage for each flight.
• 🚐 Have a shuttle between all terminals.
• ✈️ Executing flight arrival and departure logistics is the top need for the airport.
• 💡 Improved interior design and lighting.

❌ Philly's airport and at least four others along the East Coast experienced significant ground stops yesterday after a radio communication system in Philly and its backup failed.

• While airport operations resumed last night, it remains unclear how long it will take for the system to recover. (New York Times)

💰 Cleaning up illegal dumping cost Philly an estimated $8.6 million in fiscal year 2025, per a report from the City Controller's office.

• The ZIP codes with the most illegal dumping reports between 2014-25 included 19134, 19140 and 19146.

👀 A luxury housing unit on the 36th floor of the Arthaus building on South Broad Street recently sold for a whopping $4.6 million. The three-bedroom unit spans more than 3,700 square feet. (Business Journal)

Pennsylvania ranks No. 18 nationally for overall EV readiness, per the 2026 HERE Technologies-SBD index.

• That's a jump from No. 32 in 2025.

Why it matters: High gas prices are making electric vehicles more attractive to drivers, though they remain a small share of vehicles on state roads.

Zoom in: Pennsylvania has 44 public chargers per 1,000 miles of road.

• It's not bad, but still below the national average (60) and neighboring New Jersey (185) and New York (192).

What else: Pennsylvania has more than 2,000 charging stations, per federal data.

• Plus: PennDOT plans to have universal charging stations at all 17 Turnpike service plazas by next year.

🔌 Closer to home: Philly is considering a plan to boost its EV infrastructure by adding hundreds of new public chargers over the next decade.

State of play: EVs accounted for 3.65% of Pennsylvania's new vehicle registrations in the first quarter of 2026, per the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, ranking the state No. 30.

• High prices are holding back two in five potential EV buyers, per a HERE survey.

Keep reading

🌴 Isaac is OOO.

😔 Mike is sad to see another summer come and go.

Today's newsletter was edited by Jen Burkett.