Jeff MCurdy purchases his lottery tickets at the self-serve lottery terminal at Sprankles in Saxonburg.

Pennsylvania could be in a golden age of gambling.

It seems as if every other ad on television and radio is for a casino or sports betting app.

The Pennsylvania Lottery has 11 different lottery drawings as well as scratch-off tickets, keno and online games.

Poker players and slot machine fans don't have to put on shoes and drive to the nearest casino to scratch their betting itch. There's an app for that, and the next game of Texas Hold 'Em is just a click away on a phone or other hand-held device.

But could this be too much of a good thing? After all, people don't all approach gambling the same way.

According to WalletHub, a personal finance website, “recreational” or “social” gamblers buy the occasional lottery ticket, take the rare casino trip or bet small stakes in fantasy sports. But they also are mentally able to quit at any point and prevent catastrophic financial loss.

But when the business or pleasure gets out of control, gambling becomes a real medical condition. Gambling disorder, as it's known, affects about 1 to 3% of all U.S. adults — but it may be on the rise due to increased isolated time spent online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more in Sunday's Butler Eagle.