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A bipartisan group of Pennsylvania lawmakers has formed the state’s first legislative caucus focused specifically on gambling addiction and responsible gambling, citing the growth of smartphone betting.
Republican Sen. Joe Picozzi of Philadelphia and Democratic Rep. Ben Sanchez of Montgomery County will lead the Pennsylvania Problem Gambling Caucus. Republican Rep. Jamie Flick of Lycoming County is a founding member. The lawmakers announced the group Oct. 21 at the Capitol Media Center in Harrisburg.
“The drug of choice now sits in your pocket,” Flick said, comparing phone-based gambling to illicit drug addiction.
Protecting children is among the caucus’s main goals. Members want to limit young people’s exposure to online gambling and gambling ads, change how betting companies market their products, and launch a public awareness campaign on the risks of casino gambling, sports betting and online casino games.
Lawmakers pledge bipartisan push for responsible gambling
Picozzi said the caucus will seek common-sense solutions that Republicans and Democrats can support. State laws and consumer protections must keep pace with an industry that is now a few taps away on a phone, he said, which means confronting addiction head-on and protecting higher-risk groups, including young adults.
He rejected the idea that the effort is anti-business, calling it responsible governance in an increasingly online economy. And when people lose their life savings, he said, the whole community pays.
Lawmakers say the goal is not to shut the industry down but to strengthen consumer protections and treat gambling addiction as a public health concern. Many of the ideas under discussion fall under the umbrella of responsible gambling, including limits on how long and how much people can gamble, stricter advertising rules and restrictions on in-game betting. The caucus also plans to examine “frictionless” betting features that make wagering very easy, such as a tool that lets users move their entire bank balance into a betting app with one click.
Similar responsible gambling measures appear in a bipartisan bill that caucus members Democratic Rep. Tarik Khan of Philadelphia and Flick introduced the same week, MyChesCo reported. It would ban microbets, which are wagers on individual moments in a live event, such as the next play or a single shot.
It would also ban certain VIP programs and credit-card gambling, require deposit and loss limits, set gambling time limits, restrict advertising aimed at minors and young adults, and regulate AI-driven promotions.
The bill draws on a state-commissioned study released in July that found 5.7% of online sports bettors accounted for 80% of gambling spending. Its sponsors say it would not ban recreational online gambling.
Record losses fuel push
Pennsylvanians lost a combined $6.8 billion gambling in 2025, the fifth straight year of record losses, Casino.org reported. That figure is net losses, meaning money wagered minus money won. It covers casinos, online casino games, sports betting, fantasy sports and video gaming terminals, which are slot-style machines at truck stops. It excludes prediction markets, platforms where adults 18 and older can bet on events ranging from the weather to pop culture.
Most of the recent growth is online. Pennsylvanians lost $2.7 billion on online casino games last year, more than double the $1.1 billion in 2021. Sports betting losses totaled $602.5 million, up about 77% from $340.1 million four years earlier.
The trend has continued. In a separate fiscal-year tally, the state Gaming Control Board reported in July that gaming revenue topped $7 billion for the first time in the year ended June 30, about 9.6% above the prior year. Online casino games generated $2.9 billion of that total and sports betting $663 million.
More residents are gambling online, too. Penn State University research published in January found a record 30% of Pennsylvania adults gamble online each year. The researchers estimated that 2.5% to 6.4% of residents may be problem gamblers, meaning people whose betting is harming their lives.
Young adults are feeling the effects. In December 2025, the Council on Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania reported that people ages 18 to 24 made the most calls seeking help, the first time that group had topped the list in the state’s history.
Experts flag betting-as-investing mindset
Problem gambling expert Brianne Doura-Schawohl said many young people now see sports betting as a way to build wealth, blurring the line between gambling and investing. A constant stream of TV and social media ads portrays betting as glamorous, risk-free and a solution to life’s problems, she said. That messaging, advocates say, works against responsible gambling habits.
Sanchez shared the concern. He said 40% of Gen Z respondents, people born roughly between 1997 and 2012, view sports betting as a form of investing. Gambling should not be treated as a way to earn income, he said.
Doura-Schawohl added that money lost to gambling could otherwise go to local businesses, retirement savings or household bills.
Caucus to begin meeting in January
Gambling also gives the state a financial stake. The Gaming Control Board said the industry returned nearly $3.1 billion in taxes and fees in the last fiscal year, not counting the state lottery.
The caucus will begin meeting in January 2027, when the General Assembly opens its 2027 session, as lawmakers weigh how to balance a lucrative industry with responsible gambling safeguards.
