The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) is changing its position on a suggested modification to its casino self-exclusion program.
In November, the PGCB, which regulates one of the wealthiest and largest commercial gaming sectors in the United States, proposed a significant alteration to the process by which self-excluded individuals can regain entry to one of the state’s 17 physical casinos.
Under the current program, an individual may exclude themselves from casinos for a duration of one year, five years, or permanently. If the person chooses the one- or five-year option, after their chosen period ends, they will continue to be barred from casinos until they request the PGCB to reinstate their access.
The PGCB’s additional self-exclusion initiatives for iGaming, video gaming terminals (VGTs), and fantasy sports automatically reinstate access for individuals who self-excluded after their voluntary ban ends.
Policy on Reinstatement to Persist
The PGCB argued that requiring self-excluded casino players to seek reinstatement creates cumbersome paperwork for the gaming agency. The board also asserted that certain excluded individuals have unwittingly entered casinos, mistakenly believing their access had been reinstated after their self-exclusion period ended.
"This comes from either not reading the self-exclusion paperwork that they sign clearly enough or simply forgetting after several years that they must request removal. However, with these individuals remaining on the self-exclusion list, they are subject to trespass charges if caught in a licensed facility, and the confiscation of funds if they win while gaming,” the PGCB wrote in defense of the proposed rule change.
The PGCB also stated that the alteration would align the state’s four self-exclusion initiatives. Nonetheless, after obtaining numerous public comments on the suggested amendment, with almost all of the letters and emails expressing opposition, the state gaming regulatory chose to maintain the casino self-exclusion program unchanged.
"This is how the process is to work and the Board appreciates everyone who took the time to provide input,” said Doug Harbach, the PGCB’s communications director.
Advocates for responsible gaming expressed their delight at the decision.
“It really slows down an impulsive thought and really helps people think it through,” Jody Bechtold, a gambling addiction expert and CEO of The Better Institute, said of the casino self-exclusion program’s need to apply for reinstatement. “When it’s automatic expiration, people are triggered. They’re tempted by the very act of finding out that they can gamble again if they want.”
Program Metrics
As a host to retail and online casinos, in-person and mobile sports wagering, truck stops featuring VGTs, and fantasy sports, along with having the fifth-largest population, Pennsylvania boasts one of the strongest self-exclusion programs nationwide.
The PGCB reports that 33,950 individuals are enrolled in its four self-exclusion programs. The self-exclusion program for casinos has the highest number at 23,238. Among the total, males represent 15,045 enrollments.
Over 7,200 individuals have revoked their iGaming privileges, and nearly 2,000 have restricted their legal right to engage in VGTs.
Since the self-exclusion initiative at casinos started in 2006, the PGCB reports nearly 9,200 cases of self-excluded individuals attempting to access a casino.