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The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has voiced strong support for proposed Pennsylvania gambling regulations that would introduce stricter advertising standards and expand responsible gambling requirements for interactive gaming.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) published the proposed rulemaking in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on July 11. The package would update regulations covering compulsive and problem gambling across several areas of Pennsylvania’s regulated gaming industry, including casinos, interactive gaming, video gaming terminals and fantasy contests. The proposal remains under consideration and is not yet final. The public comment period closed Aug. 10.
In written comments submitted July 29, Cole Wogoman, NCPG director of policy and partnerships, said the organization is “largely supportive” of the proposed changes and described nearly all of them as steps toward protecting player health and safety.
The NCPG specifically praised two parts of the proposal: changes to advertising requirements under Section 501a.7 and new requirements for interactive gaming under Section 814a.1.
Stricter restrictions proposed for gambling advertising
The proposed changes to Section 501a.7 would establish more specific restrictions on gambling advertising in Pennsylvania.
Under the proposal, operators could not place advertising before audiences in which a majority of people are below the legal gambling age. Advertising would also be prohibited from targeting individuals based on their removal from suspended or excluded gaming status.
The rules would further prohibit false or misleading advertising and messages that encourage excessive or irresponsible gambling. Examples include suggesting gambling can solve financial or personal problems, guaranteeing a win or implying that gambling is “risk-free.”
The NCPG praised the PGCB for establishing specific standards that can be enforced rather than relying on broad advertising restrictions.
However, the organization opposed one proposed change. The PGCB would reduce the minimum size of gambling assistance messages on billboards from 5% to 2%. The NCPG urged regulators not to weaken that requirement.
Interactive gaming rules would require active notifications
The NCPG also praised proposed changes to Section 814a.1 governing interactive gaming.
Under the proposal, online gambling platforms would have to prominently display the current time in the player’s location and the amount of time elapsed during the current session. At least once every hour, players would receive a pop-up notification showing how long they have been logged in and how much they have wagered.
Players could also choose to receive additional notifications at 15- or 30-minute intervals.
The notifications could not automatically disappear. Players would have to actively dismiss them before continuing to play.
The NCPG praised this requirement, arguing that players should have to engage with responsible gambling information rather than being able to passively ignore it.
The organization also encouraged the PGCB to make time and monetary limits the default for new accounts. Players could retain the ability to disable those controls, but they would be activated when an account is created.
Proposed rules would expand player account information
The proposal would also expand the account information available to Pennsylvania interactive gaming players.
Players could request detailed account activity covering the previous 12 months, as well as a summary dating back to account creation. The information would include deposits, withdrawals, wins and losses, account balances and the history of self-imposed responsible gambling limits.
Win-and-loss information would be available in daily, weekly, monthly and yearly breakdowns, while account statements could be displayed online, downloaded, or sent to the player.
The NCPG also asked the PGCB to account for the recent transition of the National Problem Gambling Helpline to 1-800-MY-RESET when updating gambling assistance messaging.
The PGCB’s rulemaking remains a proposal and is still under regulatory review. The NCPG’s comments therefore represent input into the process rather than an endorsement of regulations that are already in effect.
If adopted, the changes would strengthen Pennsylvania’s requirements for gambling advertising, player-session notifications and responsible gambling information across interactive gaming.
