Online gambling is rising in Pennsylvania
Online gambling is on the rise in Pennsylvania according to a report by writers at Penn State’s Criminal Justice Research Center and the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.
Researchers surveyed over 1,400 Pennsylvania residents and found that 20% now gamble online, a 4% increase compared to 2023.
Their findings were published in the 2024 Pennsylvania Interactive Gaming Assessment: Online Gambling Report.
The report highlights that the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board recorded US$2.1 billion in online gambling revenue during the 2023-2024 fiscal year, a year-on-year increase of 5%.
The increase in gambling activity has also resulted in a higher number of calls to the 1-800-GAMBLER hotline.
The report found that nearly two-thirds of Pennsylvania adults had engaged in some form of gambling that year. Sports betting was the most popular way to gamble online, while lotteries were the most popular for offline gambling.
Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Penn State Abington and Lead Author of the report and Social Science Research Institute Co-Funded Faculty Member Glenn Sterner said, “This year’s report highlights the need for ongoing monitoring of online gambling in Pennsylvania. 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.”
