Add gambling to your needs assessment
PAYS items now include the indicators you need to track prevalence locally.
Gambling
Youth gambling exposure remains broad
Lifetime gambling fell again in 2025, but 1 in 10 students still report gambling in the past 30 days — and online formats are reshaping the landscape.
267,379 students · official baseline
What students bet on
Past-12-month gambling formats
Percent of all students, 2025
n = 267,3792025% of students
Source: 2025 PAYS statewide
By grade
Lifetime any gambling and past-30-day gambling
n = 267,3792025% of students
Source: 2025 PAYS statewide
Most coalitions don't yet name gambling — that's the gap
1 in 10 12th graders report past-30-day gambling, and online formats are rising in older grades. Sports betting and online wagering remain restricted to adults 21+ in Pennsylvania.
What to do with this data
Train youth-serving adults
Coaches, advisors, and counselors are well-positioned to spot warning signs.
Connect to local help
Reference 1-800-GAMBLER and the PA Compulsive and Problem Gambling helpline in all materials.
Subgroup spotlight
Gambling participation rises sharply with grade and is heavily male — a profile most coalitions don't yet plan for.
12th-grade boys
16.8%
Past-30-day gambling vs. 6.4% of girls
Sports betting (any age)
6.2%
Past 12 months, even though restricted to 21+
Online gambling
+3.1 pts
Increase among 12th graders vs. 2023
Subgroup cells with n < 30 are suppressed. See methodology.