Pennsylvania Self-Exclusion Registrations Rise 18% as PGCB Tracks Steady Growth Since 2019 Launch
PGCB data shows self-exclusion registrations rose 18% to 10,384 in 2026, up from prior years with a total exceeding 30,000 since the 2019 online launch. A report urges more regulations but flags reduced margins and state revenue as risks, with Sen. Wayne Fontana pushing credit card bans and segment-specific tracing focused on slots.
SCCG Take — Regulators face a direct trade-off: tighter controls on slot-heavy revenue risk state income, so precise, segment-targeted rules are required over broad restrictions.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has reported a continued rise in self-exclusion registrations as more individuals seek to avoid excessive gambling. In the past fiscal year the number of people excluding themselves increased by 18%. The expansion of the voluntary self-exclusion list has followed a steady upward trajectory since online gambling launched in Pennsylvania in 2019.
Registrations reached 10,384 in 2026, up from 8,867 in 2025 and 7,487 in 2024. The first significant jump occurred in 2022 with 4,242 registrations, almost double the 2,873 recorded in 2021. In total more than 30,000 people in Pennsylvania have now self-excluded from gambling statewide.
Self-Exclusion Increases Show Growing Awareness and Demand for Help
These annual gaps of a few thousand additional registrations indicate that awareness of self-exclusion has become more widespread. The numbers also signal that more people require assistance. The surge can be explained in part by the shift from offshore unlicensed websites to regulated channels where individuals can now obtain control over their gambling. Lawmakers are starting to worry about the rate of problem gambling.
Report Highlights Revenue Trade-Off in Potential New Controls
A new report suggests additional regulations are necessary to bring problem gambling under control. It argues that slashing problem gambling would eat into business margins and the state’s revenue cut from gambling. The report also argues that the industry may be allowed to run its current course with other measures considered instead. Sen. Wayne Fontana has called for tougher restrictions including a ban on credit cards for online casinos. Gambling addiction will have to be traced to specific segments to be addressed properly. The vast majority of Pennsylvania’s online gambling revenue comes from online slot machines.
The Balance Regulators Must Now Strike
Any new measures will need to reduce self-exclusions and address slot-driven addiction without triggering the revenue losses the report identifies. Targeted actions grounded in the PGCB’s segment-specific data, as covered by GamblingNews, offer the clearest route forward for protecting consumers while preserving the licensed market’s contribution to state funds.
Reporting: GamblingNews
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
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