Senator Gene Yaw’s Law Firm Ties Raise Questions Amid Skill Games Debate

As Pennsylvania lawmakers debate how to handle the booming “skill games” industry, one of its most vocal defenders, State Senator Gene Yaw (R–Lycoming County), faces mounting scrutiny over his financial and professional ties to the companies that stand to benefit.

Yaw is a partner at McCormick Law Firm, a Williamsport-based practice that has represented Pace-O-Matic and Miele Manufacturing — two of the biggest players in Pennsylvania’s skill games market. Those companies manufacture and distribute gambling-style machines that have spread across gas stations, bars, and convenience stores while occupying a legal gray area in state law.

For years, Yaw has sponsored and supported legislation to legalize skill games without disclosing how much his firm has been paid by the companies involved. Critics say that silence undermines public trust and raises questions about whether his advocacy in the Capitol is influenced by private financial interests.

“Senator Yaw hasn’t just backed the industry — he’s pushed legislation that directly benefits it,” said one ethics advocate familiar with the issue. “If his law firm is being paid by the same companies lobbying for legalization, that’s an obvious conflict the public deserves to understand.”

The senator’s annual Statement of Financial Interests, filed with the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission, lists his law firm income but does not detail clients or payment amounts. Pennsylvania’s ethics rules require public officials to disclose sources of income but stop short of requiring disclosure of specific clients, leaving significant gaps in transparency.

The skill games industry remains under intense legal and political scrutiny. Pennsylvania courts have yet to determine whether the machines qualify as illegal gambling devices or lawful games of skill. In the meantime, tens of thousands of machines continue to operate statewide, generating substantial profits for manufacturers and distributors.

Yaw has argued that legalizing skill games could bring tax revenue to local governments and level the playing field for small businesses. But opponents — including the state’s regulated gaming industry and some fellow lawmakers — contend that his legislative advocacy is compromised by his law firm’s direct financial ties to the companies pushing for legalization.

As the state moves closer to a potential ruling or new legislation, Yaw’s dual role as both policymaker and paid attorney for the industry he’s championing is drawing sharper public and ethical scrutiny.