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The number of people enrolling in Pennsylvania’s gambling self-exclusion programs has surged, particularly since online casinos opened in 2019, according to a report by Pittsburgh’s Public Source citing the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Hundreds of residents of New Jersey, New York, and Delaware have also opted into Pennsylvania’s system, the outlet reported.
Self-exclusions spread beyond casino counties
Before online casinos opened, Pennsylvania residents who self-excluded largely lived in or around counties with physical casinos. The population enrolling has since become more rural, younger, and more male, according to the report.
Blair County illustrates the shift. Just six residents self-excluded during the decade before 2019. Last year, 115 residents enrolled, giving the county the state’s third-highest concentration of self-exclusions.
“A lot of those people just didn’t gamble on a regular basis until the online gambling came and now they have access to it 24/7,” Elizabeth Lanza told Pittsburgh’s Public Source.
How Pennsylvania’s self-exclusion system works
Pennsylvania gamblers can enroll online. The program applies only to the commonwealth’s licensed gambling platforms.
People caught gambling at a physical casino while self-excluded can be cited for trespassing and have winnings confiscated. Online gamblers are automatically removed from the exclusion list when their exclusion period ends.
Lanza said self-exclusion programs have helped more than 30,000 people suffering from a gambling problem. Academic research cited by Pittsburgh’s Public Source found that users report fewer financial problems and improved quality of life, although a Swedish study found that 38% to 49% continued gambling after excluding themselves.
“It is not a cure-all. It is not treatment,” Lanza said. “We always do recommend that individuals seek some type of either self-help or more formal treatment when they enroll in self-exclusion. But it has been a very successful tool.”
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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Source: As reported by Pittsburgh’s Public Source.
