Problem Gamblers in Pennsylvania Continue to Increase, PGCB Says

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has continued to track key metrics across the state, noting that there has been a continuous uptick in the number of people registering with the state’s self-exclusion program in a bid to steer clear of excessive gambling. Problem Gamblers Continue to Register for Self-Exclusion as Numbers Rise In the past fiscal year, the number of people excluding themselves has increased by 18%, and the expansion of the state’s voluntary self-exclusion list has been steady and on an upward trajectory since online gambling first launched in Pennsylvania in 2019. In 2026, the number of self-exclusions has reached 10,384, up from 8,867 in 2025 and 7,487 in 2024. The first time the state’s self-exclusion numbers went up significantly was in 2022. At the time, 4,242 people registered in the year, almost double the 2,873 people registering in 2021. These gaps of a few thousand more people registering per year clearly indicate that awareness of self-exclusion has become more widespread, but it also signals that there are more people who need help. Altogether, more than 30,000 people in Pennsylvania have been excluded from gambling statewide. While the surge in numbers can be explained by the fact that previously many people were gambling offshore with unlicensed websites, and now there are ways to get their gambling under control, lawmakers are starting to worry, with a new report suggesting that additional regulations are necessary to get the rate of problem gambling under control. Lawmakers Need to Enact Decisions to Get Problem Gambling Under Control The report argues that slashing problem gambling would also eat into business margins and impact the state’s revenue cut from gambling. Similarly, the report also argues that the industry may be allowed to run its current course, with other measures considered to try to reduce problem gambling in the state. Sen. Wayne Fontana has been among the lawmakers to call for tougher restrictions, including a ban on credit cards for online casinos. Gambling addiction will also have to be traced to specific segments to be addressed properly. While sports gambling can be addictive, too, and many are, the vast majority of Pennsylvania’s online gambling revenue comes from online slot machines.