Hold’em or fold’em – House approves Khan plan to examine gambling in PA

Study to look at sports and interactive gambling, best practices for industry regulation

Rep. Tarik Khan May 15, 2025 | 11:51 AM

HARRISBURG, May 15 – With a strong bipartisan vote, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved a measure by state Rep. Tarik Khan, D-Phila., to examine the rise of sports betting and related interactive gambling in Pennsylvania, and what best practices could be put in place to provide guiderails for the industry and relief for problem gamblers.

Since 2017 when sport and online gambling became legal in Pennsylvania, the $10-billion-a-year industry has flooded the state with advertising – and gambling addiction and problem gambling have increased rapidly alongside the proliferation of gambling options and opportunities.

“With the advent of sports gambling here in Pennsylvania we’ve seen a dramatic increase in problematic gambling, a problem which is disproportionally affecting our young adults, particularly young men,” said Khan. “We have to do something as a commonwealth to make sure people are not getting sucked in. Problematic gambling has a huge negative impact on families and communities, including increased rates of suicide. Pennsylvania has and must continue to be a leader on this issue.”

Khan’s measure would direct the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study on the state of sports and online betting within the commonwealth, including how sports betting platforms utilize promotions, in-game advertisements, and celebrity endorsements, to encourage individuals to participate in sports betting.

Ultimately, the commission will develop recommendations on ways to reduce problem gambling behaviors, gambling debt, and the exposure of children to sports betting advertisements.

Khan’s resolution was approved by the House 189-14, with strong support from Republican members including Rep. Russ Diamond, R-Lebanon, who is minority chair of the House Gaming Oversight Committee.

“We created this opportunity for folks to go online and wager on sports and for it to be convenient,” said Diamond before the vote by the full House. “And for those folks who have a problem with gambling, we do have a responsibility to make sure they have the resources, and the help they need. This study will help us understand problematic gambling better, and make sure people have the resources they need for their recovery.”

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