(The Center Square) – Legal gaming generates substantial tax revenue for the commonwealth, but March serves as an annual reminder that, like drugs or alcohol, gambling can stimulate the brain’s reward system and become addictive.
Gambling addiction is a serious behavioral health issue that can harm finances, relationships, mental health, and overall well-being at any age – and there are growing concerns about its impact on young people.
To raise awareness, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, or PGCB, launched its “What’s Really at Stake” campaign as part of Problem Gambling Month. The campaign’s rollout also coincides with the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, one of the largest wagering events in the U.S.
The seriousness of the issue is highlighted by various studies cited by the board in a press release.
According to the agency, one study said 75% of U.S. college students gambled in the past year, whether legally or illegally, and 18% reported gambling weekly, or more often. Another study found that 58% of 18-to-22-year-olds engaged in sports betting, while 6% said they had lost more than $500 in a single day.
The board also cited findings that 6% of college students meet the criteria for a serious gambling problem, 33.7% of youth under 18 gambled in a one-year period, and more than one in three boys ages 11 to 17 gambled in the past year.
Board Executive Director Kevin O’Toole said the agency’s mission to protect the public includes ensuring that legalized gaming is fair for those of legal gambling age, but also to raise awareness about the risks gambling poses to young people.
“The legalized gambling the PGCB regulates, and in particular online gambling, is intended for those 21 years and older,” O’Toole said. “The licensed operators in Pennsylvania have various tools within their systems to deny gambling privileges to those underage, but the proliferation of easily accessible illegal and unregulated sites that do not carry those protections to block underagers is a substantial reason in creating this negative situation.”
Josh Ercole, Executive Director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of PA cautioned that the greater availability of online gambling from unregulated, offshore entities is resulting in an increase in the number of young people in Pennsylvania who have reached out to their helpline for assistance.
“With so much access and availability, especially in unregulated forms of gambling, it is critical to have open discussions about risks and potential harms. It is also important to understand that while underage individuals playing games like these may seem innocent, early exposure and participation can lead to future problems,” said Ercole.
As gambling becomes more accessible across digital platforms, a survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of the National Council on Problem Gambling showed nearly two-thirds of adults reported participating in at least one form of gambling before age 21.
The issue has also drawn lawmakers’ attention in Harrisburg. In May 2025, the House adopted HR 60 by a 189-14 vote. It directs the Joint State Government Commission to study sports betting and interactive gambling, focusing on reducing problem gambling and protecting children from advertisements.
