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State of Play’s TL;DR
- Pennsylvania’s gambling self-exclusion list rose 18% in the last fiscal year.
- The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board says the trend has continued alongside the state’s online casino era.
Pennsylvania’s gambling self-exclusion list grew 18% in the last fiscal year, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s (PGCB) latest annual report.
The board said warning signs of rising gambling addiction are continuing, with the long-running increase showing no sign of slowing.
The report points to a trend that has continued since Pennsylvania’s first online casino opened in 2019. If that pace holds, more than 10,000 Pennsylvanians could be on the self-exclusion list by the end of this year, up from fewer than 1,500 six years ago.
Self-exclusion totals keep climbing
The PGCB released its annual report on Oct. 2 and said signs of a dramatic rise in gambling addiction are not abating this year.
Its clearest measure was the self-exclusion list, which allows people to ban themselves from gambling. The number of Pennsylvanians excluding themselves from gambling increased 18% in the past fiscal year.
That continues a steady rise that dates back to 2019, when the state’s first PA online casino launched.
Why the report stands out
The topline numbers show how quickly the picture has changed in Pennsylvania. Six years ago, fewer than 1,500 people were on the self-exclusion list. The latest report suggests that total could now move into five figures if the current trend continues.
The report does not identify specific operators, causes behind the increase, or any new policy changes tied to the rise. Even so, the board’s warning adds to the responsible gambling conversation in one of the country’s most mature online casino markets.
For readers, the key takeaway is straightforward: Pennsylvania regulators are flagging self-exclusion growth as an ongoing concern, not a one-off spike.
Based on reporting by Oliver Morrison for Pittsburgh’s Public Source.
