A former national compliance director at Pace-O-Matic faces racketeering charges for allegedly operating an illegal gambling scheme in Pennsylvania. Rick Goodling, who previously served as a Pennsylvania State Police corporal, is accused of accepting over $500,000 in bribes to suppress complaints about illegal slot machines.

According to prosecutors, Goodling allegedly helped banned distributors, including Deibler Brothers Novelty Co., obtain Pace-O-Matic games despite violations of company regulations. When other operators complained, Goodling reportedly used his position to dismiss these concerns.

The charges resulted from a multi-year undercover FBI and state police investigation, during which an undercover detective worked within Pace-O-Matic's compliance team alongside Goodling. The compliance team, primarily composed of former state troopers and liquor enforcement officers, was responsible for ensuring businesses replaced illegal games with skill-based alternatives.

As Pennsylvania's largest skill games supplier, Pace-O-Matic maintains their games are legal due to skill-based features that differentiate them from chance-based slot machines. Goodling, who testified before a state Senate committee in 2019, was responsible for identifying and removing illegal gaming machines from the marketplace.

Pace-O-Matic terminated Goodling's employment in late 2023 after learning about a federal tax investigation. The company states it is not involved in or connected to the charges against Goodling and has since strengthened its compliance department under former state police commissioner Frank Noonan's leadership.

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