Pace-O-Matic's "Dragon's Ascent" gaming machines continue to operate in Kansas despite ongoing legal uncertainty about their status as skill-based games. The Kansas Supreme Court recently declined to declare the games legal, upholding a lower court's decision that the case lacks standing.

The game, found in Kansas truck stops and convenience stores, is a dragon-shooting variation of popular Asian fish-shooting games. Players spend credits to fire shots at dragons, winning prizes for successful hits.

Key developments in the legal battle:

• Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission (2019) found both skill and "many non-skill features" in the game
• The Commission couldn't make a formal decision due to the game's remote modification capability
• The Attorney General's Office declined to provide an opinion
• Pace-O-Matic's lawsuit seeking legal declaration was dismissed due to lack of standing
• Kansas casino operators filed a separate pending lawsuit claiming the game is illegal

Justice Keynen Wall noted that Dragon's Ascent has operated without law enforcement interference, with no seizures, prosecutions, or cease-and-desist orders issued.

Despite the court's decision, Pace-O-Matic plans to continue operations in Kansas, with company spokesperson Michael Barley stating they will "continue to operate legally in Kansas" based on the case's outcome.

The core issue remains whether Dragon's Ascent qualifies as a game of skill under Kansas law, which exempts contests of "skill, speed, strength or endurance" from gambling restrictions. While Pace-O-Matic claims the game is "100% skill and strategy," this assertion remains legally unchallenged.

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