PRESS RELEASE

HARRISBURG – Recognizing the growing issue of young people engaging in gambling activities, Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (“PGCB”) is launching a campaign intended to heighten the awareness of this problematic issue.

The “What’s Really at Stake” campaign will utilize social media posts, online advertising, a dedicated website (WhatsReallyatStake.com), and access to promotional materials. The launch coincides with both national Problem Gambling Awareness Month in March and the start of one of the most significant wagering events in the United States, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. All of those materials are available to individuals, educational institutions or counselors as a free download at this website under the “Resources” section.

According to various studies:

- 75% of U.S. college students gambled in the past year (legally or illegally), with 18% gambling weekly or more frequently; at the same time only 22% of U.S. colleges and universities have formal policies on gambling. (CollegeGambling.org)

- 58% of 18–22-year-olds (including college students) engaged in sports betting with 6% reporting losing over $500 in a single day. Additionally, awareness of campus support for gambling problems is low with only 14% of men and 16% of women report knowing where to seek help.  (NCAA)  

- 6% of college students meet criteria for a serious gambling problem—roughly double the adult U.S. average of 3%.  (AddictionCenter.com) 

- 33.7% of youth under 18 gambled in a year period (Mass.gov)

- More than 1 in 3 boys aged 11–17 gambled in the past year. (Common Sense Media)

PGCB Executive Director Kevin O’Toole says the chief mission of the agency is to protect the public. While that means ensuring that legalized gaming is fair for those of legal gambling age, this mission extends to campaigns such as “What’s Really at Stake” that brings awareness to young people who can be negatively affected by gambling along with those they interact with such as family and educators. 

“The legalized gambling the PGCB regulates, and in particular online gambling, is intended for those 21 years and older,” O’Toole says. “The licensed operators in Pennsylvania have various tools within their systems to deny gambling privileges to those underage, but the proliferation of easily accessible illegal and unregulated sites that do not carry those protections to block underagers is a substantial reason in creating this negative situation.”

Josh Ercole, Executive Director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of PA agrees and says the greater availability of online gambling from unregulated, offshore entities is resulting in an increase in the number of young people that they assist who are developing a gambling problem and have been reaching out for assistance via the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline.

“In recent years, calls to the helpline regarding young individuals in Pennsylvania have increased,” Ercole says. “With so much access and availability, especially in unregulated forms of gambling, it is critical to have open discussions about risks and potential harms. It is also important to understand that while underage individuals playing games like these may seem innocent, early exposure and participation can lead to future problems.”

In addition to the What’s Really at Stake website, additional information and assistance for a gambling problem can be accessed on the PGCB’s dedicated website on this issue, ResponsiblePlay.pa.gov.  

The launch of the What’s Really at Stake campaign parallels the recent announcement of the availability of additional resources to help parents and educators protect kids from the risks of sports, online, and other forms of gambling. The materials, developed and curated by the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, are available on the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Standards Aligned System (SAS) website.

Samples of the social media posts, posters and table tents that are downloadable from the What’s Really at State site are attached to this press release.