Pennsylvania lawmakers form bipartisan Problem Gambling Caucus

First-of-its-kind legislative group

Pennsylvania lawmakers announced the formation of the Pennsylvania Problem Gambling Caucus, a first-of-its-kind bipartisan legislative effort. State Sen. Joe Picozzi (R-Philadelphia) and Rep. Ben Sanchez (D-Montgomery) are heading up the bipartisan caucus, with Rep. Jamie Flick (R-Lycoming) serving as another founding member.

The caucus will begin meeting in January 2027 when the General Assembly convenes for its 2027 legislative session.

Initial priorities

The group outlined its first priorities: reducing youth exposure to gambling ads and launching public education campaigns on the risks tied to casinos, sports betting, and iGaming.

Record revenue and rising participation

Pennsylvania’s 2025 marked the state’s fifth consecutive year of record revenue, with player losses from casinos, iGaming, sports betting, video gaming terminals, and fantasy sports totaling $6.8 billion. Online casino losses in Pennsylvania reached $2.7 billion in 2025, up from $1.1 billion in 2021. Sports bettors in Pennsylvania lost $602.5 million in 2025, nearly double the $340.1 million reported four years prior.

Penn State University research published in January revealed that an all-time high of 30% of Pennsylvania adults engage in some form of online gambling annually, representing a 10% increase from the prior year. Penn State researchers concluded that between 2.5% and 6.4% of all Pennsylvanians may be problem gamblers.

In December 2025, the Council on Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania reported that young adults aged 18 to 24 accounted for the highest volume of outreach calls for the first time in state history.