Pennsylvania Report Urges End to In-Game Betting

Casino

By lines

July 21, 2026

A Pennsylvania in-game betting ban leads a new state report on gambling addiction. The Joint State Government Commission released the report during the week of July 13, 2026. The commission urges Pennsylvania lawmakers to end live betting at licensed online casinos and sportsbooks. The report also calls for mandatory player-set spending limits.

What the Pennsylvania Commission Recommends

The report recommends banning in-game betting and banning credit card funding of gambling accounts, according to Legal Sports Report. The commission also wants limits on promotions and tighter advertising rules. Recommended ad restrictions include ending “risk-free” language and reducing exposure to minors, according to Casino.com News. The commission further proposes caps on VIP programs.

The full report is available from the Joint State Government Commission. The report concedes that iGaming revenue “can be economically beneficial overall” for legal states. The report also warns that mobile play “can exacerbate the severity of gambling addiction.” The commission cited University of California research linking sports betting to rising credit card and auto loan delinquencies.

More than 1 in 4 Pennsylvania residents face gambling addiction risk. The estimate comes from the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society and the Pennsylvania Society of Addiction Medicine. Casino.com News reports Pennsylvania gambling profit approached $8 billion over the past year. The outlet also reports about 73% of Pennsylvanians gambled in some form. The commission report carries no legal force without action from Pennsylvania lawmakers.

Pennsylvania is not alone in targeting live betting. Ohio’s Save Ohio Sports Act proposes banning live betting, parlays, and prop bets, per Casino.com News. The Pennsylvania recommendations apply to operators licensed by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Sweepstakes casinos serving Pennsylvania players operate outside that licensing system. New rules on ads and spending limits could reshape how licensed casinos compete with sweepstakes brands.