Pennsylvania Report: 1 in 4 Adults at Risk of Gambling Disorder

More than one in four Pennsylvania adults is now at risk of developing a gambling disorder, according to a 126-page state report published in July 2026 that calls online sports betting and iGaming an urgent public health challenge. The Joint State Government Commission study, ordered by the General Assembly under House Resolution 60, urges lawmakers to ban credit card deposits, require mandatory loss and deposit limits, curb VIP programs and restrict advertising aimed at young people.

The findings landed as Pennsylvania gamblers lost a record amount for the fifth straight year, sharpening a debate that pits one of the country's largest regulated gambling markets against a rising bill of gambling harm. Here is what the report says, who is behind it, and what it could mean for operators.

What did the Pennsylvania gambling report actually find?

The report concluded that Pennsylvania faces "an urgent and escalating public health challenge" from online gambling and that lawmakers must decide whether to act now or study the issue further. Titled "Sports Betting and Related Interactive Gambling in Pennsylvania," the 126-page document was produced by the Joint State Government Commission, the nonpartisan research arm of the state legislature, under House Resolution 60 of the 2025-2026 session.

Its central figure is stark. The Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society and the Pennsylvania Society of Addiction Medicine estimate that more than one in four adults in the state is at risk of a gambling disorder. The report's own modelling put the at-risk share at 27.9% to 29.9% of adults, with a potential problem gambling rate of 2.5% to 6.4%.

What are the key numbers?

The study pairs record revenue with rising markers of harm. The clearest way to read it is side by side.

Metric	Figure	Source
Adults at risk of gambling disorder	More than 1 in 4 (27.9% to 29.9%)	PA Psychiatric Society; Joint State Government Commission
Potential problem gambling rate	2.5% to 6.4% of adults	Joint State Government Commission
Adults gambling online	17% to 30%	Joint State Government Commission
1-800-GAMBLER calls citing online gambling	More than 50%	Joint State Government Commission
Year over year rise in self-exclusion enrollment	Nearly 65%	Joint State Government Commission
Reported gambling losses in 2025	Record $6.8 billion	casino.org

How much money is at stake for the state?

Gambling is now a multibillion-dollar pillar of Pennsylvania's economy, which is exactly why the debate is difficult. The commission reported total gambling revenue of about $6.4 billion in the 2024-2025 fiscal year, including roughly $2.48 billion from iGaming and $487 million from sports wagering. Separately, casino.org reported that Pennsylvania gamblers lost a record $6.8 billion across 2025, the state's fifth consecutive year of all-time-high gaming revenue.

That revenue funds property tax relief, economic development and problem gambling programs, so any clampdown carries a fiscal trade-off. The report frames the choice as one between short-term tax receipts and long-term public health costs.

What changes does the report recommend?

The commission set out a detailed menu of safeguards rather than a single fix. The most consequential recommendations for operators include:

• Banning credit card deposits on online sportsbooks and iGaming platforms.
• Requiring mandatory loss, deposit frequency and session length limits.
• Prohibiting or sharply reducing VIP programs tied to how much a customer deposits or loses.
• Restricting in-play betting and micro bets, and banning autoplay functionality.
• Limiting advertising near youth spaces, including geolocation blocking on public university campuses.
• Banning push notifications and direct promotions to logged-out users.
• Curbing AI-driven personalized marketing offers.
• Requiring licensed operators to submit anonymized player data for independent research.

Who wrote the report and why now?

The study was commissioned by lawmakers, not the industry or an advocacy group. House Resolution 60 directed the Joint State Government Commission to examine sports betting and interactive gambling and to recommend ways to reduce problem gambling, gambling debt and children's exposure to betting advertising. Ronald Grenoble, the commission's assistant counsel, oversaw the work as a nonpartisan legislative research product.

The timing reflects how fast the market has grown. Pennsylvania legalized online casino and sports betting in 2017 and launched in 2019, and iGaming revenue has since climbed every year. The report argues that regulation has not kept pace with product design that is engineered to maximize engagement.

What are experts saying?

Public health voices have framed the report as a turning point in how the state treats gambling harm.

"The report made it clear that gambling is not a personal failing, it's a public health issue and the recommendations really reflect that." Kavita Fischer, Pittsburgh-area psychiatrist and past president of the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society.

Fischer, who treats patients with gambling addiction, compared aggressive operator marketing to leaving alcohol and discount coupons on the doorstep of someone trying to quit drinking, calling it the predatory part of the business model.

How are lawmakers reacting?

Support for tighter rules is bipartisan but measured, with legislators keen to stress they are not trying to shut the industry down. State Senator Wayne Fontana, a Brookline Democrat, summed up the balancing act.

"It's not like we're shutting down the industry. We're just trying to help the folks that need help here. Is there a trade-off? Sure. There's going to be a trade-off." State Senator Wayne Fontana.

The report itself notes that if concern is sufficient, the General Assembly can enact amendments now rather than wait, a line that reads as a nudge toward legislative action in the current session.

Would the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board act on its own?

Yes, and it already has a parallel track. Alongside the legislative recommendations, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has floated its own regulatory amendments, including enhanced betting limit options, the ability for players to suspend accounts for up to one year, marketing opt-outs, monthly self-limiting activity reports, and a ban on misleading terms such as "free" or "risk-free" when real money is at stake. That means some safeguards could arrive through regulation even if the legislature moves slowly.

How does Pennsylvania compare with other markets?

The proposed limits echo tools already used in more mature European jurisdictions. Deposit limits, affordability considerations and advertising restrictions are common features of the British market, where the latest official data showed the UK problem gambling rate sitting at 2.4%. Pennsylvania's move would bring one of the largest US iGaming markets closer to that European template of mandatory player protection rather than voluntary tools.

What does this mean for operators?

For sportsbooks and casino operators, the report is a warning shot rather than a law, but the direction of travel is clear. A credit card ban and mandatory limits would reshape deposit flows and lifetime value models, while restrictions on VIP schemes would hit the high-value segment that drives a large share of revenue. Operators already face mounting legal and regulatory pressure across the country, including DraftKings' lawsuit against Philadelphia over a consumer protection probe in the same state.

What happens next?

The report is advisory, so nothing changes automatically. The General Assembly must decide whether to translate the recommendations into legislation, while the Gaming Control Board can advance its own rule changes through the regulatory process. Given the fiscal stakes and industry lobbying, any package is likely to be contested. What is not in doubt is that Pennsylvania has now put mandatory player protection firmly on the table.

Key facts at a glance

• The report is a 126-page Joint State Government Commission study published in July 2026 under House Resolution 60.
• More than one in four Pennsylvania adults is estimated to be at risk of a gambling disorder.
• Recommendations include banning credit card deposits, mandatory loss limits and curbs on VIP programs and campus advertising.
• Pennsylvania reported record gambling losses of $6.8 billion in 2025, a fifth straight annual high.

Updated July 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What did the Pennsylvania gambling report find?

It found that more than one in four adults in the state is at risk of a gambling disorder and called online gambling an urgent public health challenge, recommending credit card bans, mandatory limits and tighter advertising rules.

Who ordered the Pennsylvania sports betting study?

The General Assembly ordered it through House Resolution 60 of the 2025-2026 session, and the nonpartisan Joint State Government Commission carried out the 126-page study.

Will Pennsylvania ban credit card gambling?

Not yet. A credit card ban is a recommendation in the report, not law. Lawmakers would need to pass legislation, or the Gaming Control Board would need to adopt a rule, before any ban takes effect.

How much do Pennsylvania gamblers lose?

Pennsylvania reported record gambling losses of $6.8 billion in 2025 according to casino.org, the state's fifth consecutive year of all-time-high gaming revenue.

What is House Resolution 60?

House Resolution 60 is a 2025 measure directing the Joint State Government Commission to study sports betting and interactive gambling in Pennsylvania and recommend ways to reduce problem gambling, gambling debt and children's exposure to betting ads.