Pennsylvanians banning themselves from gambling once lived mostly near the state’s casinos, but self-exclusions have spread to counties far from any casino since online gambling arrived in 2019, according to an analysis of state data.
Pittsburgh’s Public Source analyzed publicly available self-exclusion data from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and found that the number of people enrolling has surged since the first online casino opened in 2019. The analysis found the shift is changing who is excluding themselves and where they live.
Before 2019, Blair County had one of the lowest rates of self-exclusion in the state, with only six residents banning themselves across the previous decade, the outlet reported. There was no casino in Blair County or any bordering county before this year. Last year, 115 Blair County residents self-excluded, giving the county the state’s third-highest concentration, just below one in every 1,000 residents.
