PGCB Releases Annual Report For Record-Breaking Year

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) released its FY 2022/2023 Annual Report, which did not lack impressive results.

The Pennsylvania gambling industry recorded a record-breaking fiscal year in revenue and taxes generated. The state also opened a new retail casino and launched multiple PA casinos online.

With even more ways to gamble, the PGCB has put responsible gambling tools at the forefront, and improved the ways in which people can seek help.

PA online casinos help gaming revenue soar during FY 2022/2023

The PGCB reported the state generated $5.51 billion in revenue and $2.37 billion in taxes during FY 2022/2023, both of which are records for any 12-month period.

Those numbers are attributable to many things. However, the state expanded its retail and online casino reach. PGCB Executive Director, Kevin O’Toole, said in the report:

“The result is the continued oversight of the retail gaming market which added a 17th casino during the Fiscal Year 2022/2023, while also overseeing the licensing and launch of additional online gaming sites for both casino-type games and sports wagering. The result was a 9% growth in revenue during the past fiscal year which resulted in a record $2.37 billion in tax money remitted to the Commonwealth.”

The following two operators launched during FY 2022/2023:

The two operators launched as the 19th and 20th platforms, respectively, in the Keystone State. Tropicana went live in April and Bally’s followed during a June debut.

Overall, online casino revenue increased by 24% from last fiscal year. Both of the newest operators are recognizable names in the Pennsylvania area, and are expected to generate a significant amount of market share down the road.

Parx Casino also opened a new location in Shippensburg earlier this year. It is the state’s 17th retail facility, and operates as a non-smoking PA mini-casino. It features 500 slot machines, 48 electronic table games and a sportsbook.

PGCB’s commitment to responsible gambling in Pennsylvania

The PGCB received its 20,000th request for a casino self-exclusion in June.

The PGCB has implemented improvements to make signing up for self-exclusion much more user-friendly for residents.

According to the report, the PGCB mandates that each casino and online gaming operator has an approved compulsive and problem gambling plan, which includes:

Training of casino and online operator employees on the signs and symptoms of a gambling disorder and the available responsible gaming programs
Policies and procedures on identifying those with potential harmful behavior and the identification and removal of underage, self-excluded and involuntarily excluded individuals who have engaged in gaming activities
Responsible advertising policies
The casino or online operator’s participation in outreach programs

PGCB Chair, Denise Smyler, said in the report:

“While most persons participate in gambling responsibly, a smaller percentage do not. This also goes to the heart of the PGCB’s work to protect the public. The Board assures that information is easily found to direct an individual to problem gambling assistance. This assistance includes, but is not limited to, placing limits on their daily online gaming activity, self-excluding from entering and gambling at casinos, or finding the services of a counseling professional.”

It is clear the PGCB remains steadfast in protecting the people it serves by emphasizing responsible gambling tools in Pennsylvania, despite the increasing number of ways to gamble.

Timeline of key PA gaming events this past year

The PGCB released a timeline of key events that occurred during FY 2022/2023. Some of them have already been discussed, but here’s an overview of the top news from the latest fiscal year:

July

Denise Smyler reappointed as PGCB Board Chair

November

PGCB launches awareness campaign “Don’t Gamble with Kids” focused on adults leaving minors unattended to gamble at casinos
PGCB published special warning to adults visiting casinos during holiday weekend to not leave children unattended

December