Self-exclusion in Pennsylvania

How to put yourself on Pennsylvania's self-exclusion list, what it covers, and what it does not.

Programme: Four separate Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board self-exclusion programmes: Casino, Interactive Gambling (iGaming), Video Gaming Terminals (VGT) and Fantasy Contests. You enrol in each one separately.responsibleplay.pa.gov, checked 3 October 2026
Covers online betting: Yes, but only through the separate iGaming self-exclusion list, which bans you 'from all legalized iGaming activities'. The PGCB's brochure is explicit that this does not reach the rest of PA gambling: 'The PGCB's iGaming Self-Exclusion List does not ban player participation in all PA gambling venues.' Enrolling in the casino programme does not cover online play, and vice versa.responsibleplay.pa.gov, checked 3 October 2026
Covers casinos and shops: Yes, through the Casino programme, which covers 'legalized gaming activities within a casino and offsite venues'. Note the limit the brochure states: 'Self-exclusion only applies to the gaming floor of the licensed gaming facilities in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.'responsibleplay.pa.gov, checked 3 October 2026
Covers the lottery: No, not by any PGCB programme. The Pennsylvania Lottery runs its own separate self-exclusion for online iLottery play only, and it does not stop retail buying: 'Self Exclusion does not stop players from playing Lottery tickets sold in stores, but it will prevent players from entering any qualifying tickets into online Second-Chance Drawings.' Its terms are six months, one year or five years, and it 'is a binding legal agreement that cannot be ended early'.palottery.pa.gov, checked 3 October 2026
How long you can choose: One year (12 months), five years, or lifetime. The same three options apply to the casino and iGaming programmes.responsibleplay.pa.gov, checked 3 October 2026
Can it be undone: A lifetime ban cannot be lifted: 'Individuals enrolled in lifetime self-exclusion are unable to request removal through the online removal process' and 'All online removal requests for early removal or removal from a lifetime self-exclusion will be denied.' For shorter terms the two programmes behave differently: 'Casino self-exclusions do not expire. Individuals must request removal from the program when their ban period has concluded', whereas 'iGaming, VGT, and Fantasy Contest self-exclusions simply expire at the conclusion of the ban period that was selected during the enrollment process, unless an extension has been submitted.'pgcb.pa.gov, checked 3 October 2026
What happens when it ends: It depends which of the four programmes you joined. Casino self-exclusions do not expire and stay in force until you ask to come off. iGaming, VGT and Fantasy Contest exclusions expire on their own at the end of the term you chose.Quoted on the FAQ: "Casino self-exclusions do not expire. Individuals must request removal from the program when their ban period has concluded", and "iGaming, VGT, and Fantasy Contest self-exclusions simply expire at the conclusion of the ban period that was selected during the enrollment process." So the online ban is the one that quietly lapses.pgcb.pa.gov, checked 3 October 2026
How you sign up: No notary. Online at responsibleplay.pa.gov, where you must upload a 'selfie' picture and a picture of your photo ID and pass LexisNexis identity verification; or by scheduling an appointment at a PGCB office; or by visiting a PGCB office located in a licensed facility. You cannot enrol on someone else's behalf.responsibleplay.pa.gov, checked 3 October 2026

Worth knowing before you start

The four-list structure is the thing most likely to catch someone out: banning yourself from casinos leaves online gambling open, and banning yourself from iGaming leaves casinos, VGTs at truck stops and fantasy sports open. There is also a live inconsistency in the PGCB's own material: the casino brochure still says the casino request cannot be posted and 'must apply in person to the PGCB office or other approved locations to be photographed', while the Board's current responsibleplay.pa.gov page and press release offer online enrolment with a selfie and LexisNexis check. If the online casino enrolment matters to you, confirm by phone on 717-346-8300 before relying on it.

Done? The rest of the hour: blockers, a bank block, closing the accounts, telling one person.

Every fact on this page was read from an official source and dated. The oldest of them was checked on 3 October 2026. Tell us if something here is wrong.