US Gambling Self-Exclusion Programs by State: Data

Gambling self-exclusion, a program that lets a person ask to be barred from betting for a set period or for life, is the most widely used consumer-protection tool in the US gambling industry. Yet there is no single national self-exclusion registry. Each state that has a program runs its own, with its own terms, coverage and reporting. This reference gathers what regulators and trackers have published about US gambling self-exclusion programs by state: who has a program, how long exclusions last, how many people are enrolled and what the demographics look like.

Because states publish self-exclusion statistics at different dates and in different formats, this article labels every figure with its as-of date. Most enrollment tables below come from regulator figures compiled in late 2023, and the latest annual figure comes from Pennsylvania's 2026 report. The numbers are not directly comparable between states, and we say so wherever it matters.

Key Findings: US Self-Exclusion Programs

• 39 states plus Washington, D.C. have a statewide self-exclusion program listed, while 11 states do not: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.
• Pennsylvania recorded 9,677 new self-exclusions in its latest annual report, up 18% from 8,197 the year before, with about 30,000 people actively enrolled.
• Illinois reported 15,022 enrolled and New Jersey 19,304 excluded from online gaming, the largest single-state figures in the 2023 compilation.
• Registries do not share data in real time, and no federal mandate requires interstate sharing.
• In Massachusetts in 2026, fewer than 500 people were enrolled in self-exclusion for at least a year, against 1.83 million active sports betting accounts.

Methodology and Data Limits

This article compiles figures from published secondary sources, not primary regulator datasets. State enrollment counts come from a PlayUSA compilation published 5 December 2023, which cites each state regulator. Pennsylvania's 2026 figures come from GamblingHarm.org's report on the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board's annual report, published 2 October 2026. Program counts, durations and online coverage come from the Cope Compass state directory, whose links were verified in July 2026, and from Bright Side of News' April 2026 article on registry fragmentation. Percentages that do not appear in the source were calculated by DeucesCracked and are rounded to one decimal place.

Four cautions apply. First, "enrolled" can mean currently active, ever enrolled, requests or individuals, depending on the state. Pennsylvania's June 2023 figure, for example, counts 20,000 requests from 6,042 individuals. Second, as-of dates differ across states. Third, some sources contain internal inconsistencies: the PlayUSA compilation's Kansas and Iowa breakdowns do not sum to their stated totals, so we use only totals and the breakdowns that reconcile. Fourth, enrollment counts do not measure how many people have gambling problems, only how many used a specific tool. Because these figures are dated, check the current regulator report before relying on any one of them.

Which States Have a Statewide Program?

According to the Cope Compass directory, which lists 50 states and D.C., 39 states and D.C. have a program, and 11 do not. Programs vary in what they cover. The directory identifies programs that explicitly cover online casino or sports in New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware and Connecticut; online sports only in Indiana, Tennessee, Vermont, North Carolina and Wyoming; sports with online or retail options in Kansas, Arizona and Virginia; online lottery in Georgia, New Hampshire and Rhode Island; and interactive gaming only in Nevada, which has no land-based exclusion. The directory states that the National Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program, or NVSEP, is live in "21 and counting" states as of 2026, and that Nebraska and Wyoming joined in December 2025.

The central point is that "has a program" is not the same as "covers all gambling." A person excluded at a casino in one state may still be able to open an online account in another, because registries run separately. For the legal landscape in sports betting, see our guide to US sports betting by state.

How Long Does Self-Exclusion Last?

Durations are the most visible difference between states. The table shows the terms that sources state explicitly.

Some states allow reinstatement petitions after the term ends, while others impose lifetime bans with no reversal. Lifetime choices are common. In Maryland, 1,178 of 2,926 active enrollees (40.3%) chose lifetime exclusion, with the remaining 1,748 (59.7%) choosing the two-year option. In Mississippi, 1,190 of 2,046 individuals (58.2%) are banned for life. In Iowa, 6,278 of 8,917 enrollments are lifetime. In Pennsylvania, 4,335 of the 20,000 requests (21%) were lifetime.

Enrollment Counts by State

The next table lists the headline figures regulators reported in 2023. It is a snapshot, not a ranking of current enrollment, and the measures differ.

Pennsylvania: the most recent annual data

Pennsylvania offers the most current figures. Its Gaming Control Board runs four self-exclusion programs, covering brick-and-mortar casinos, video gaming terminals, online gambling and fantasy contests. The board's 2026 annual report shows 9,677 new self-exclusions, up from 8,197 the year before, an increase of 1,480 people or about 18%. About 14,200 total requests were processed, including roughly 4,500 removals, and about 30,000 people are actively enrolled. The board also keeps an involuntary exclusion list of more than 1,500 people. In 2023, the individual-level breakdown showed 3,778 individuals in iGaming, 1,467 in VGTs and 797 in fantasy sports.

New Jersey and the online effect

New Jersey reported 19,304 people excluded from online gaming and 2,099 excluded from both online and in-person casino play as of June 2023. The state's duration mix was reported as about 45% choosing one year, 49% five years and 5% lifetime. The gap between online-only and combined exclusions suggests many people choose to restrict online play specifically.

Who Self-Excludes? Age and Sex Data

Only some states publish demographic breakdowns. Where they do, a consistent picture appears: most enrollees are men, and most are in middle age or older.

In Illinois, 6,876 of 15,022 enrollees (45.8%) are aged 45 to 65, and 4,667 (31.1%) are over 65. Only 397 (2.6%) are 21 to 30. Maryland's data, collected as sports betting launched, skews younger: 853 of 2,926 enrollees (29.2%) are 35 to 44 and 420 (14.4%) are 26 to 34.

Sex breakdowns show men outnumber women in every state that reports them.

Mississippi is the closest to parity, with women making up 948 of 2,046 (46.3%). Despite the older skew in these 2023 tables, the National Council on Problem Gambling is reported to say adults aged 21 to 34 are the fastest-growing segment of registrants, although no counts accompany that claim.

Program Design: One Program or Many?

States differ on whether one registry covers all forms of gambling. Massachusetts split its 1,619 current enrollees in June 2023 into 1,378 casino only, 39 sports wagering only and 202 both. Arizona's 2,153 active exclusions split into 2,095 casino and 58 for event wagering and fantasy sports. Kansas distinguishes its original program, begun in 2010, from a sports wagering program. These splits show how often people exclude from one product but not another, which is where gaps arise.

The Fragmentation Problem

With 39 states and D.C. offering legal sports betting, per Bright Side of News, each operates its own registry, and the registries do not share data in real time. There is no federal mandate for interstate sharing, no standardized technical protocol for exchanging exclusion records and no central database that lets operators in all markets check new accounts. A "National Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program" concept has been discussed at responsible gambling conferences, and GeoComply and the American Gaming Association have published frameworks for a shared database, but no proposal has gained traction.

The fantasy sports sector offers a precedent. Collegiate Fantasy Sports, using the idPair system, launched in Nebraska and New Mexico in 2024 and expanded to 13 more states in 2025, with exclusions reportedly propagating across participating operators within minutes. New Hampshire mandated a unified statewide database in 2025, which is still being built. Malaysia, by comparison, is cited as having one regulator that manages exclusion lists across licensed platforms.

Is Self-Exclusion Used Enough?

Enrollment counts look large in isolation but small against the number of bettors. In Massachusetts in 2026, there were 1.83 million active sports betting accounts, which measure accounts, not unique people. Nearly 300,000 of them took a cool-off of at least three days, but fewer than 500 enrolled in self-exclusion for at least a year. A 2023 meta-analysis of 15 studies found about 1 in 7 people with problem gambling had used self-exclusion, about 1 in 40 with less severe problematic behavior and about 1 in 200 of those considered at risk. A 2025 Penn State study estimated that up to 6.4% of Pennsylvania adults may have a gambling addiction and 25.4% to 29.9% could be at-risk gamblers. Taken together, these figures suggest only a small share of those who might benefit use the tool. For related tools and background, see our betting basics guide and our overview of online casinos.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many US states have a gambling self-exclusion program?

The Cope Compass directory lists 39 states and Washington, D.C. with a statewide program and 11 without: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.

How long does self-exclusion last?

It depends on the state. Illinois requires at least 5 years, Mississippi at least 3, Maryland offers 2 years or lifetime, and New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania allow terms starting at 1 year. Some states offer lifetime exclusion only.

Does self-exclusion in one state apply in other states?

Generally no. Registries run separately and do not share data in real time. The NVSEP is described as live in 21 states as of 2026, but coverage is not national.

How many people are on self-exclusion lists?

It varies by state and year. Pennsylvania reports about 30,000 actively enrolled; Illinois reported 15,022 and New Jersey 19,304 for online gaming in 2023-era compilations. Because definitions differ, these figures cannot be added into a national total.

Where can I get help with problem gambling?

The National Council on Problem Gambling helpline is 1-800-522-4700, available 24 hours a day in the US. If you are considering self-exclusion, contact your state gaming regulator for the application process.

Sources

• PlayUSA, Here's How Many Players Use Self-Exclusion Programs By State (5 December 2023)
• GamblingHarm.org, This State's 18% Spike In Gambling Self-Exclusions Tip Of Iceberg (2 October 2026), citing the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board 2026 Annual Report
• Cope Compass, Gambling self-exclusion by state (links verified July 2026)
• Bright Side of News, Gambling Self Exclusion Fragmentation Persists (29 April 2026)

Percentages not given in the sources were calculated by DeucesCracked. Explore more research on our blog.

Cite This Article

If you use data from this article, please link back to https://www.deucescracked.com/blog/us-gambling-self-exclusion-programs-by-state-data. Suggested citation: DeucesCracked Editorial, "US Gambling Self-Exclusion Programs by State: Data," 15 October 2026.