Pennsylvania Study Recommends Ending Live Betting to Reduce Gambling Harm

A new study conducted in Pennsylvania suggests two things: ending live betting and self-imposed limits at online casinos and sportsbooks. 

The study came from the Joint State Government Commission, and the report recommends changes to curb gambling addiction in the state. 

These include not only the two previously mentioned but also limitations on promotions and advertising restrictions. The report also cited research conducted by the University of California, which showed that sports betting was associated with worsening consumer credit outcomes related to bankruptcy, credit card delinquencies, auto loan delinquencies, and more. 

It also mentions mental health experts referring to gambling as a health challenge. 

Report Recommends New Responsible Gambling Measures

Some of the recommended changes include banning credit card funding of gambling accounts, banning in-game betting, self-imposed limits, restrictions on advertising, such as no "risk-free" language, limits on VIP programs, reduced exposure of ads to minors, and more.

Pennsylvania is home to two massive sports towns/cities in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and according to the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society and Pennsylvania Society of Addiction Medicine, more than 1 in 4 residents are at risk of gambling addiction. 

The report acknowledged that there are benefits to the state from gambling. 

"There is no denying that the revenue from online gambling and sports betting can be economically beneficial overall for the states where iGaming is legal," it said. 

However, it did add an observation: "The ability to be on one's own device in public while others around are unaware of the content coming across the screen can exacerbate the severity of gambling addiction."

Other States Are Considering Similar Changes

There was also a recommendation to require companies to provide an agency with each gambler's data anonymously to stop at-risk play. 

In the last year, profit from gambling in the state has been close to $8 billion, and upward of 73% of Pennsylvanians have done some form of gambling. 

Pennsylvania and studies in the state aren't the only ones recommending changes to online betting, though. In Ohio, they're recommending a ban on live betting, parlays, prop bets, and more.