Online gambling in Pennsylvania continues to increase in Pennsylvania, according to the 2024 Pennsylvania Interactive Gaming Assessment: Online Gambling Report. The assessment was authored by researchers in Penn State's Criminal Justice Research Center and developed under contract with the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.
The researchers surveyed over 1,400 Pennsylvania residents, finding that 20% - or one in five - Pennsylvania adults are now gambling online. This compares to the 2023 report, which found that 16% participated in online gambling.
According to the report, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board noted new records in online gambling revenues reaching over $2.1 billion cumulatively during the 2023-24 fiscal period - a nearly 5% increase from the 2022-23 fiscal period. According to the researchers, this uptick coincides with calls to the 1-800-GAMBLER hotline mentioning online gambling, which represented almost half of all intake calls.
"This year's report highlights the need for ongoing monitoring of online gambling in Pennsylvania,"said Glenn Sterner, associate professor of criminal justice at Penn State Abington, lead author of the report and Social Science Research Institute co-funded faculty member. "With increased revenues and prevalence of online gambling, we need to be sure we are adequately educating Pennsylvanians about risks of illegal sites that may seek to take advantage of this surge in activity."
Other report findings include:
- Nearly two-thirds of Pennsylvania adults engaged in some form of gambling in the past 12 months.
- Of the residents who reported gambling, 46% reported gambling exclusively offline. Online gamblers were split into two groups: 17% were classified as mixed-mode gamblers because they reported gambling online and offline, and the 2.7% who exclusively gambled online.
- Among those that gamble online, over 20% engaged in some form of illegal or unregulated online gambling. This cohort represents approximately 6% of the Pennsylvania adult population.
- Sports betting was the most popular online gambling format, with 7.9% reporting participation, and 48.7% reported participating in lotteries, the most popular format for individuals to engage in offline gambling.
The report also revealed that those who engaged in both in person and online gambling had the highest risk of problem gambling, while those who only gambled in person had the lowest risk. This finding, the researchers said, suggests the need for targeted interventions focusing on online gambling to educate audiences on the risks of gambling, including the increased risk of gambling across multiple formats.
"Knowing what the current online gambling trends are helps to inform our path forward in addressing compulsive and problem gambling within the commonwealth," said Latika Davis-Jones, secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. "This report also helps us to spread awareness that treatment and resources, like the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline, are available when someone needs help."
Other researchers who contributed to the report are Gillian E. H. Russell, assistant research professor, Penn State Abington; and Amanda M. Ferrara, operations manager at Penn State Social Science Research Institute's Survey Research Center.
Funding for the report was made available through Pennsylvania Act 42, utilizing revenues generated from interactive gaming licensees.
