Share 
Pennsylvania treatment providers and the state problem gambling hotline are seeing more women seek help. The calls increased with an expansion of PA online gambling on phones and laptops.
According to a report, women made up 35% of online sports gamblers in Pennsylvania in 2025, up from 26% in 2022. It also said Pennsylvania’s problem gambling hotline now receives more calls from women ages 45 to 54 than any other group.
Hotline and Treatment Data Point to a Changing Profile
Treatment providers say the shift is becoming more visible. Philadelphia-area gambling-addiction therapist Jennifer Levitt said she is seeing more career women, new mothers, and younger women seeking help.
Levitt also said late-night gambling is a recurring pattern among women she treats. She said it may be the only “me time” they get.
More women are also reporting problems with online slots than with machines on traditional casino floors. Online access is changing gambling harm patterns, and that adds to the evidence.
Josh Ercole, executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania, admitted online gambling is not a passing trend and will continue to grow without intervention.
What the Story Shows About Online Gambling Harm
The clearest player impact in the report comes from Philadelphia resident Carla Brandoff. She lost about $1 million over four years before entering treatment.
Brandoff said treatment cost roughly $6,000, including airfare. That said, she described it as money well spent. Otherwise, she could have lost that amount in two nights. Brandoff has not gambled since leaving treatment in October 2022.
The report is a reminder that online betting’s convenience can also make problems harder to spot early. That is especially true when gambling shifts to private, late-night play.
Researchers and treatment providers believe more outreach and more study are necessary to better understand vulnerability and gambling addiction among women in Pennsylvania.
The report stops short of identifying which operators or platforms may be driving the increase.
Source: As reported by delco.today.
