Pennsylvania lawmakers are proposing blocking access to all sports betting and online casino platforms on school campuses.
Representative Jason Ortitay said he intends to introduce the legislation in honor of Ray Mikesell, who killed himself after struggling with gambling addiction.
The legislation would require igaming and sports betting operators to use geospatial technologies to prevent registered players from accessing their platforms while physically located on school property.
“This is a common-sense protection for our children, and it honors the memory of a young man whose loss should not be in vain,” Ortitay said in a press release, before using fellow lawmakers to co-spnsor the bill.
Gambling Addiction Started In School
Ray Mikesell committed suicide in 2024 when faced with an eviction notice from his home in South Fayette. His financial problems had been mounting due to years of gambling, which began when he was a high school student.
“That addiction followed him for years and ultimately cost him his life,” Ortitay stated. “His father has asked that we act so that no other family endures what his family has endured. As he told me, if this legislation helps even one person, it is worth it.”
A recent report said that as many as 1 in 3 American boys aged 11 to 17 years old are gambling, with video games acting as the top way youths encounter gambling-like activities.
Lawmakers Want Operators To Take Responsibility
Lawmakers have also demanded that betting companies detail what measures they are taking to address issues of problem and underage gambling.
Last month, a group of five Democrats sent a letter to the CEOs of 10 major betting and prediction market operators expressing their concerns about young Americans’ gambling.
The letter references multiple ads run by the companies, which the lawmakers see as problematic. For example, a Kalshi TikTok ad that included the tagline: “I was about to be unable to pay my rent, but I got two years of rent through Kalshi’s predictions. It’s amazing!”
Kalshi has stopped running this ad and has signed up to the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), claiming it is committed to responsible practices. It does, however, continue to allow 18-year-olds to effectively gamble on sports in Pennsylvania, despite the legal betting age being 21.
This ad is particularly poignant to Mikesell’s story as his death came at a time when he was unable to pay rent due to gambling problems. To suggest that gambling is a way out of financial difficulty, rather than the route towards it, is irresponsible, say the lawmakers.
Gambling groups have invested heavily in supporting Pennsylvania politicians they believe would oppose additional restrictions on the industry.
