There may be some changes in the wind for remote wagering.
In Pennsylvania, the Joint State Government Commission (JSGC) issued a report titled, “Sports Betting and Related Interactive Gambling in Pennsylvania.” The JSGC was commissioned by a House resolution to study igaming or more accurately online, mobile, and remote gaming and the attendant risks to citizens of the state. The scope includes online casino games and sports wagering on mobile devices. In the world of igaming, the mobile-device platform garners the most wagers by a large margin. Lawmakers were concerned over the rapid growth of mobile wagering in the state and its impact on vulnerable at-risk gamblers. It is easy to understand their concern.
To date, in fiscal year 2025/2026, over $80 billion has been wagered on igaming slots and table games within the borders of Pennsylvania, producing over $2.5 billion in revenue. Online sports wagering in 2025 generated $8.6 billion in wagers and $860 million in revenue. For a state with 13 million residents, those are very big numbers.
Pennsylvania has had a love affair with gambling since 2006 when it first legalized slot machines. Since then, the Keystone State has expanded its offering several times, first to table games, then mini casinos, then sports betting, and finally online casino games. Gaming revenue grew from $1 billion in 2007-2008 to $7.7 billion in 2025. Growth is at the core of the state’s gaming narrative.
Igaming was legalized in 2017. In 2019-20, the first reporting year, igaming revenue was $240 million, in 2020-21 it was $897 million, $1.2 billion in 2021-22, $1.5 billion in 2022-23, $1.9 billion in 2023-24, and $2.4 billion in 2024-25. In just seven years, igaming revenue has gone from $240 million to over $2.5 billion. And the state has enjoyed the ride. The tax thus far in the 2025/2026 year is just under $1 billion. In calendar year 2025, Pennsylvania collected $2.8 billion from casinos and igaming. It has a very strong interest in maintaining the revenue stream.
Still, lawmakers are being pressured to protect people from harm and the JSGC study is the result of that pressure. The JSGC has a long history. It was established in the 1930s to sidestep politics and examine major issues from a bipartisan point of view. It has issued more than 460 reports covering a wide variety of subjects. It is a perfect place to put a controversial and conflicting issue such as igaming.
Issued on July 13, the JSGC report puts online gambling in Pennsylvania in the context of other states in the region and analyzes mobile sports wagering and online casino games separately. It concludes that sports betting is more widely accepted than online casino games. There are 32 states with mobile sports and only seven currently offering igaming. In the minds of the authors of the report, that puts more of a spotlight on the problems igaming generates. The report details the demographics of both sports betting and igaming. Identifying those most likely to gamble and those most at risk from gambling is an age-old problem for both academic researchers and casino marketers.
The report concludes that igaming creates more risk than other forms of gambling and therefore requires more controls. The final paragraph states, “This staff study covers problem-gambling behaviors and their consequences, gambling’s effects on college student-athletes, children’s exposure to gambling advertising, and resources available to mitigate potential harms. Further, the report discusses the legal framework around proposed recommendations for the legislature’s consideration.”
The report addresses advertising and marketing, payment methods, limits on wagering and losses — in short, limit the advertising, digital marketing, and wagering. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board wants to get ahead of the issues and is planning on introducing regulatory updates with a period for comments. In the JSGC report, there are other issues, considerations, and recommendations. The report is 126 pages long and is a detailed study of the issues, but it does leave everything hanging with a question. Should we act now, quickly, strongly, immediately, and risk losing the revenue, or should we take our time, do more studies, and develop a long-term plan? It’s an important question, but one without an easy answer.
However, Pennsylvania should get an award for integrity. Regardless of how important gaming revenue is to the state, putting igaming, mobile sports, and addiction in the hands of the Joint State Government Commission is an act of integrity. The report covers the issues and legal challenges. Now it is up to the lawmakers to take the next step. The country will be watching, especially Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Michigan, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.
To act or not to act, that is the question. The answer will determine Pennsylvania’s place in terms of responsible legislating and integrity in the world of remote gambling.
