PGCB issues public warning on unauthorized betting sites
The regulator issued the warning prior to the NFL regular season beginning on September 4, which is said to produce an ‘increased amount of sports wagering’ in Pennsylvania.
Key Points
- Pennsylvania currently authorizes 12 betting sites for eligible residents, all of which operate under “strict regulation” from the PGCB and offer problem gambling tools
- The PGCB also offers Pennsylvanians a self-exclusion program where any participant will be blocked from accessing all online betting sites regulated by the Board
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has issued a public warning regarding the dangers of participating with an unauthorized or illegal betting site due to the “increased amount of sports wagering” witnessed throughout the NFL season, which is set to begin on September 4.
Pennsylvania currently authorizes 12 betting sites for eligible residents, all of which operate under “strict regulation” from the PGCB and offer problem gambling tools to help individuals from forming a “destructive habit.”
“For a gambler to protect themselves, they should be very hesitant to use illegal offshore sites. Only on the Pennsylvania regulated sites can a bettor choose to utilize self-imposed limits to better control their wagering activities,” PGCB Executive Director Kevin O’Toole said.
“Legal, Board-regulated online sportsbooks must offer options for a player to control their gambling activity such as limiting the amount of time they can spend on a site, limiting the amount of money they can deposit or provide a limit on the amount they wager. In addition, the Board’s approved operators offer ‘Cool-Off Periods’ that establish a short-term ban of days, weeks or months for the bettor who can limit their sports wagering activity.”
The PGCB also offers Pennsylvanians a self-exclusion program where any participant will be blocked from accessing all online betting sites regulated by the Board.
Good to know: The PGCB reported the state’s total gaming activity for July 2025 on August 20, including a revenue increase of 11.4% year-over-year to $557.7m, as well as an iGaming revenue increase of 30.9% for a total of $228.2m
On August 28, the American Gaming Association (AGA) announced US bettors are expected to place an estimated $30bn in wagers on the upcoming 2025-2026 NFL season, marking an 8.5% increase over the revised $27.6bn handle from 2024.
The estimate covers all legal betting activity across the season, including preseason games, futures booked as early as March, the playoffs and Super Bowl LX scheduled for February 2026.
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