The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has adopted a resolution to further study the impact of problem gambling stemming from online sportsbooks and casinos.
House Resolution No. 60 directs the Pennsylvania Joint State Government Commission to conduct a new study of online gambling addiction in the state.
The state must complete the study within 12 months.
The Pennsylvania gambling study will include “recommended methods to further regulate the industry in order to reduce problem gambling behaviors, gambling debt and the exposure of children to sports betting and related interactive gambling advertisements.”
Benefits of PA Gambling Study
Pennsylvania was among the first states to sanction both online sports betting and casino gambling. The state is one of the largest commercial gambling markets in the U.S.
In the fiscal year ending in mid-2025, Pennsylvania online casinos won $2.48 billion from bettors, with the state on par with the Michigan online casino market.
Besides sports betting, the resolution doesn’t call for a study of other forms of state-sanctioned gambling. Pennsylvania also has the lottery, daily fantasy sports, and video gambling terminals. PA’s age-related gambling laws depend on the gambling form.
H.R. 60 contains some glowing descriptions of sports betting, despite evidence showing that 30-40% of online sports bettors experience problems.
In one section, H.R. 60 claimed that sports betting has “clear popularity and economic benefits.” In another section, the resolution said “sports betting is a novel, popular industry with many benefits.”
Still, H.R. 60 acknowledged that state-sanctioned online gambling has likely led to immense harm for many Pennsylvanians.
In 2025, Pennsylvania had dozens of people on its statewide exclusion list related to sports betting.
What’s in the Pennsylvania Gambling Review
The Joint State Government Commission serves as the bipartisan and bicameral research agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It comprises the entire membership of the General Assembly.
The Pennsylvania gambling study will include the following:
- Information regarding marketing strategies, such as promotions, in-game advertising, advertising during sports broadcasts and webcasts, as well as the use of celebrities and animated spokespersons
- Information on loan, bonus, incentive and VIP programs
- Recommendations on methods to further regulate the online sports betting industry to reduce problem gambling and gambling debt
- Information regarding what protocol may be implemented for employee training with consideration of the impact of gambling addiction
- Information regarding the impact of sports betting upon the mental health and well-being of college student athletes, including instances of harassment, coercion or retaliation by bettors
High-Stakes for State
The study comes as DraftKings Sportsbook, one of the market leaders in Pennsylvania, has been sued in the Keystone State. The suit alleges DraftKings preyed upon Pennsylvanians with gambling addiction.
Pennsylvania will study the use of credit cards to fund a sports betting account. This came as Illinois recently became the seventh sports betting state to prohibit credit cards.
Some items up for study in Pennsylvania are in the pending SAFE Bet Act, which seeks federal standards for sports gambling regulation.
Sports gambling support in the U.S. has fallen sharply in recent years, which Pennsylvania could also address. Self-exclusion in PA has grown alongside sports betting’s controversy.
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