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The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) supports most of Pennsylvania’s proposed responsible gambling changes but wants time and spending limits enabled by default for new online accounts.
The response follows a recent state report outlining possible approaches to reducing gambling harm in Pennsylvania. In a July 29 comment letter to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), the council said it supports nearly all of the proposed revisions and believes they would improve player health and safety.
The proposed regulation, published July 11, would update problem gambling requirements covering casinos, online casinos, sports betting, video gaming terminals, and daily fantasy sports contests.
It remains under review and has not been finalized.
NCPG wants to replace opt-in limits
Under the proposed rules, Pennsylvania online gambling platforms would have to let players set daily, weekly, or monthly limits on deposits, spending, and playing time while creating an account. Players could also cap individual wagers and apply limits jointly or separately to interactive gaming and sports wagering.
Operators would also have to display an hourly pop-up showing how long a player has been active and how much they have wagered during the session. Players would need to actively dismiss the message.
NCPG wants the PGCB to go further by requiring time and spending limits to be active when an account is opened. Players could still disable them, shifting the system from opt-in to opt-out.
For operators, that recommendation could require a more substantial change to the account-opening process than the PGCB has proposed. The letter does not recommend specific default amounts or playing-time thresholds, leaving the PGCB to determine how the requirement would work if adopted.
NCPG opposes smaller-sized helpline messages on billboards
The NCPG supported the proposal’s more specific advertising restrictions. The rules would prohibit ads aimed at audiences made up mostly of people below the legal gambling age, along with marketing that disproportionately targets groups shown to face a higher risk of gambling harm.
They would also bar excessive advertising and claims suggesting gambling can solve financial or personal problems. Promotions could not be described as “free” or “risk-free” when customers must risk their own money or satisfy other conditions.
However, NCPG opposed one proposed change: reducing the minimum size of gambling-help messages on billboards. The required text is currently at least 5% of the billboard’s height or width, whichever is greater, while the PGCB has proposed lowering the threshold to 2%.
NCPG said there was no compelling reason to make the messages less prominent.
Other player protections remain under review
The proposal includes several other player-protection measures. Operators would have to send monthly messages about self-imposed limits, responsible gambling tools and problem gambling resources. The notices could not include advertisements or promotions, and players would have to be given a way to opt out of direct marketing.
The NCPG also asked Pennsylvania to permit promotion of 1-800-MY-RESET, the new number for the national problem gambling helpline, wherever state law allows. Pennsylvania’s regulations currently use the legislatively mandated 1-800-GAMBLER number.
The public comment period closes Aug. 10, while the Independent Regulatory Review Commission has until Sept. 9 to submit its comments. The PGCB can revise the package before submitting a final version, leaving time to incorporate NCPG’s recommendations concerning default limits and billboard messages.
