Self-exclusion by state · Pennsylvania
How to self-exclude from sports betting in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania splits self-exclusion into four separate lists: Casino, iGaming (which is where online sports betting lives), video gaming terminals, and fantasy contests. You can enroll online, but picking the wrong list leaves the door open.
The short answer
For online sportsbooks you need the iGaming list — the Casino list does not cover them. Choose every list that matches how you bet. Lottery and unregulated 'skill games' aren't covered by any of them.
Program: PGCB Self-Exclusion Programs (separate Casino, iGaming, VGT and Fantasy Contest lists), run by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), Office of Compulsive and Problem Gambling. Official page →
Terms: 1 year · 5 years · Lifetime · Fantasy Contests: 1-99 years
Pennsylvania help: 1-800-GAMBLER; PGCB Office of Compulsive and Problem Gambling 717-346-8300
What to do today, before the state list kicks in
Enroll online today and select the iGaming list plus every other list that applies. Note that iGaming, VGT and fantasy exclusions end automatically when the term runs out, so put a reminder on your calendar to extend before then.
Then read how to block each app — excluding inside the app is usually faster than any state list, and it’s the first layer of the firewall.
What the Pennsylvania list covers, and what it doesn’t
| Type of gambling | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Online sportsbooks | Partly | ONLY if you choose the iGaming list (PA rules include 'interactive or mobile sports wagering' under iGaming self-exclusion) |
| Retail sportsbooks | Partly | If you choose the Casino list (covers gaming in casinos and offsite venues such as OTBs) |
| Casinos | Partly | If you choose the Casino list |
| Online casino | Partly | If you choose the iGaming list |
| Daily fantasy / pick'em | Partly | If you choose the Fantasy Contest list |
| Lottery | Not covered | |
| Video gaming machines | Partly | If you choose the VGT list; unregulated 'skill games' are not covered |
| Tribal casinos | N/A | (no tribal casinos in PA) |
| Prediction markets (Kalshi etc.) | Unconfirmed | Not stated by PGCB. CFTC-regulated prediction markets are probably not covered. |
The gaps people miss
- The Casino list does NOT stop online sportsbooks or online casinos. You must also choose the iGaming list. The reverse is also true.
- The Casino list never expires on its own. Even after 1 or 5 years you stay on it until you request removal.
- IGaming, VGT and Fantasy exclusions END AUTOMATICALLY at the term's end, and your online accounts can reopen. Extend before the term expires if you want continued protection.
- PA Lottery and iLottery are not in the PGCB program. They have their own separate exclusion.
- Unregulated 'skill games' in bars and convenience stores are not covered by any list.
- Prediction-market apps and offshore or sweepstakes sites are not covered.
How to enroll in Pennsylvania
| Way to enroll | Available? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Online | Yes | |
| In person | Yes | |
| By mail | Unconfirmed | |
| By phone or video | Yes | (assisted enrollment by appointment: 717-346-8300 or problemgambling@pa.gov) |
- Go to the PGCB self-exclusion site (pgcb.pa.gov/SelfExclusion via responsibleplay.pa.gov) and register. Identity is checked through LexisNexis and you may get a knowledge-based quiz.
- Select EVERY program you need: iGaming (online casino AND online/mobile sportsbooks), Casino (land-based casinos, their retail sportsbooks, OTBs), VGT (truck-stop video gaming terminals), and Fantasy Contests.
- Enter your existing online player accounts and any aliases.
- Choose a term for each: 1 year, 5 years or lifetime (Fantasy: any 1-99 years).
- Sign the acknowledgments, take a selfie and photograph the front and back of your government ID, then submit.
- If identity can't be verified automatically, the application goes to manual review (3-5 business days). Help is available at 717-346-8300.
What you need
Online: name, last 4 of SSN, date of birth, LexisNexis identity verification or knowledge-based quiz, a selfie, and photos of the front and back of a government photo ID.
How long it takes to take effect
No exact deadline found for when operators must apply a new exclusion. The PA Council says iGaming sites must refuse wagers after enrollment. Manual-review applications take 3-5 business days.
What happens to your balance and open bets
Do this first, whatever your state says: withdraw your balance and let open bets settle before you enroll. Getting money back afterward means dealing with an operator that is now required to refuse you.
You can still withdraw your funds from each iGaming site. Winnings from play while excluded are forfeited. how open bets are handled.
Can you get off the list early?
No. Online requests for early removal or removal from lifetime are denied. iGaming, VGT and Fantasy exclusions for 1 or 5 years expire AUTOMATICALLY; PGCB deletes the name within 5 business days of expiry, and iGaming sites take up to 2 more business days. Casino exclusions do NOT expire. After the term you must actively request removal.
Free blocking software in Pennsylvania
We haven’t found a state-funded free blocker for Pennsylvania. Gamban costs about $42 a year; the iPhone Screen Time lock is free.
The Betting Firewall
This is one wall. You need five.
The Pennsylvania list makes licensed operators refuse you. It does nothing about offshore sites, prediction-market apps, a friend’s account, or the money in your checking account. That’s what the other four layers are for.
- The appsSelf-exclude and close every sportsbook, fantasy, and prediction-market account you have. Guide →
- Your phoneBlock the apps and sites at the device level so a deleted app can't come back. Guide →
- A blockerInstall Gamban or another blocker that can't be removed early. Guide →
- Your moneyCard controls, gambling blocks at your bank, and someone else on the account. Guide →
- The state list — this pageEnroll in your state's self-exclusion program so every licensed operator has to refuse you.
The 24-Hour Betting Shutdown Plan
Self-exclusion is one wall. The Shutdown Plan walks you through all five layers of the Betting Firewall in one day — apps, phone, money, people, and the state list. Free, first name and email only.
Sign-up opens shortly. In the meantime, every step is on the Shutdown Plan page.
No spam, no selling your data, unsubscribe anytime. If you want structure past day one, the 90-Day Stop Betting Program is the next step — we’ll mention it once in the emails.