HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania officials have launched a new public awareness campaign aimed at addressing the growing problem of youth gambling as the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship and national Problem Gambling Awareness Month bring renewed attention to sports betting.
What This Means for You
- Pennsylvania is launching a new campaign to warn young people about gambling risks.
- Officials say many college students gamble, but few campuses have formal policies addressing it.
- Educational resources for parents, schools, and counselors are available online.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board announced the “What’s Really at Stake” campaign, which will use social media, digital advertising, and educational resources to highlight the risks of gambling among young people.
Materials connected to the campaign are available for free download at https://WhatsReallyatStake.com, where educators, counselors, and community organizations can access prevention resources.
Campaign Launch Targets Youth Gambling
Officials say the campaign is designed to address increasing participation in gambling among teenagers and college-age adults.
According to research cited by the gaming board, about 75 percent of U.S. college students gambled in the past year, while 18 percent reported gambling weekly or more often. At the same time, only 22 percent of colleges and universities have formal policies addressing gambling behavior.
Additional studies cited by officials indicate that 58 percent of adults between ages 18 and 22 have participated in sports betting, with 6 percent reporting losses exceeding $500 in a single day.
The data also show that about 6 percent of college students meet the criteria for a serious gambling problem, roughly double the estimated rate among U.S. adults.
Among younger audiences, officials said approximately one-third of people under age 18 reported gambling within a one-year period.
Illegal Online Sites Raise Concerns
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Executive Director Kevin O’Toole said the agency’s mission includes protecting the public from gambling-related harms.
“The legalized gambling the PGCB regulates, and in particular online gambling, is intended for those 21 years and older,” O’Toole said. “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.”
Officials say illegal or offshore gambling sites are a key concern because they often lack safeguards to prevent underage users from placing bets.
Helpline Calls From Young People Increasing
Advocates say increased access to online gambling is also driving more young people to seek help.
Josh Ercole, executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania, said calls involving young individuals have been rising.
“In recent years, calls to the helpline regarding young individuals in Pennsylvania have increased,” Ercole said. “With so much access and availability, especially in unregulated forms of gambling, it is critical to have open discussions about risks and potential harms.”
Ercole added that early exposure to gambling can increase the likelihood of developing long-term gambling problems.
Additional Resources Available
Officials say the new campaign complements additional prevention materials recently made available to parents and educators.
Those resources, developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, are available through the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Standards Aligned System at
https://pdesas.org/Page/Viewer/ViewPage/79?SectionPageItemId=37158&ItemContainer=sortableItemContainer37159
Individuals seeking help for gambling problems can also access information through the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s Responsible Play website at https://ResponsiblePlay.pa.gov.
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