Problem Gamblers in Pennsylvania Keep Increasing as Self-Exclusions Reach 10,384 in 2026

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) says the state’s self-exclusion list keeps climbing, with 10,384 exclusions recorded in 2026, up from 8,867 in 2025 and 7,487 in 2024. For PSPs and operators, that is a reminder that Pennsylvania’s online gambling market is now big enough for responsible-gambling controls to matter in operations, not just in policy decks.

1. In the past fiscal year, the number of people excluding themselves from gambling in Pennsylvania increased by 18%. The PGCB says the upward trend has continued since online gambling launched in the state in 2019.
2. The state’s self-exclusion figures first jumped sharply in 2022, when 4,242 people registered, almost double the 2,873 who signed up in 2021. Altogether, more than 30,000 people in Pennsylvania have been excluded from gambling statewide.
3. The report says the growth in self-exclusions reflects both wider awareness of the program and more people needing help. It also notes that many gamblers previously used offshore, unlicensed websites, while now there are more ways to bring gambling under control through state systems.
4. Lawmakers are starting to push for tighter rules. Sen. Wayne Fontana has called for tougher restrictions, including a ban on credit cards for online casinos. The report also says gambling addiction needs to be traced to specific segments if policymakers want to address it properly.
5. The report argues that cutting problem gambling would reduce business margins and lower the state’s gambling tax take. At the same time, sports betting is only part of the picture: the vast majority of Pennsylvania’s online gambling revenue comes from online slot machines.

For high-risk payment stacks, Pennsylvania is a useful reminder of how responsible-gambling measures can move from compliance language into transaction policy. If lawmakers keep focusing on credit cards and specific gambling segments, PSPs serving the state will have to pay attention to how those controls are implemented at the payment layer.