Penn State Researchers Find Online Gambling Participation Jumped 10 Percent
Pennsylvanians are gambling online at record rates, according to new study from Penn State University.
Every year, the commonwealth's iGaming and online sports betting industries are reviewed in the "Pennsylvania Interactive Gaming Assessment: Online Gambling Report" for 2025. State taxes on interactive gaming licenses provide funding for the study, which is carried out by Penn State's Criminal Justice Research Center.
According to the 2025 survey, up to 30% of adults in Pennsylvania gambled online last year. That represents an all-time record for online gambling participation and is up 10% from the previous year.
The state's 1-800-GAMBLER helpline saw an increase in complaints about improper online gaming as a result of the boost in participation. According to the Penn State study, 2.5% to 6.4% of Pennsylvanians "may be a problem gambler."
3,500 Pennsylvania citizens participated in the interactive gaming assessment.
Play the Record
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) said last week that iGaming revenue in 2025 hit a record $2.77 billion, up 27% from 2024. Poker, interactive table games, and online slots are all included in iGaming.
Pennsylvania sports bettors lost $602.5 million last year in addition to iGaming, with the majority of the activity taking place online. According to the Penn State study, sports betting has been the most popular online gambling type for the past five years.
Pennsylvania is also seeing an increase in in-person gaming, with offline involvement rising from 56% in 2024 to 69% last year. The most popular offline gambling format was lottery play, followed by casinos.
People who engage in both online and offline gambling are most vulnerable to problem play, according to a Penn State study.
"This report lends further support to the enhanced risk of the combination of online and offline gambling, and importantly, that this combination of gambling was predictive of being classified as a problem gambler,” the report summarized.
The Penn State survey revealed that over 10% of Pennsylvania residents gambled on unregulated websites last year, which raises concerns because the PGCB requires its licensees to provide measures for responsible gaming.
Prediction market websites have contributed to an increase in problem gambling among youth, according to testimony provided by the PGCB last month. Additionally, the PGCB has requested that laws prohibiting contentious internet sweepstakes casinos be passed by the Harrisburg legislature.
Research Aids in Treatment Research
According to academics, the yearly iGaming assessment aims to improve problem gambling treatment in the next years.
"Knowing what the current online gambling trends are in Pennsylvania will assist the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs in our work to assess and address how gambling behaviors impact compulsive and problem gambling within the Commonwealth,” said DDAP Secretary Dr. Latika Davis-Jones.
“It will also help to guide our work as we expand DDAP’s gambling services to include case management supports for the very first time. This will mean any individual in Pennsylvania who struggles with problem gambling behaviors can call 1-800-GAMBLER and receive case management and outpatient treatment services, like help with financial counseling, childcare, medical assistance, employment, or other non-treatment needs,” Davis-Jones explained.
