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đŸ“± Losing it all to FanDuel | Morning Newsletter

And Pa.’s mail fail.

FanDuel, DraftKings, and other online gambling apps are displayed on a phone.
FanDuel, DraftKings, and other online gambling apps are displayed on a phone.Read moreJeff Chiu / AP
    by Julie Zeglen
    Published 

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

Good morning, Philly.

Philadelphia is now the top market for online gambling companies — and addiction helplines are ringing off the hook.

And approximately 2.7 million state agency letters were never mailed to Pennsylvania residents last month, officials say, after a state-contracted vendor failed to send them.

— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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‘A national crisis’ centered on Philly

“I have nothing. I’ve gambled everything away on FanDuel.”

đŸ“± In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, two of only six states in the U.S. where both sports betting and online casino games are legal, gambling helpline calls have tripled since 2021. Half cite online gambling as their main problem.

đŸ“± Many of those who call the helplines report the devastating impact the activity has on their lives, from blown paychecks and foreclosed homes to ruined relationships. In New Jersey, debt averages to about $34,000 for each caller.

đŸ“± Meanwhile, advertisers have pounced on the fast-growing market, spending $37 million in the Philadelphia area in 2025 — more than New York City and much more than Las Vegas. Experts say lawmakers have struggled to keep pace with the industry’s rise.

Reporters Max Marin and Lizzie Mulvey dig into the data, plus anonymized helpline call logs and state revenue reports, for this investigation.

Mail fail

More details are emerging about the millions of pieces of mail from Pennsylvania agencies that never made it to residents last month.

A state-contracted vendor was fired last week after officials discovered the mistake, which affected PennDot and Department of Human Services correspondence from Nov. 3 through Dec. 3.

Missing mail from PennDot included driver’s license and vehicle registration renewal invitations. It’s not yet clear what type of communications went unsent from DHS, a representative said, though Electronic Benefit Transfer cards and some other benefits-related items were not affected.

Questions remain, too, about why it took a full month for officials to determine that the mail had not been reaching residents, and how the issue was discovered.

State politics reporter Gillian McGoldrick has more.

What you should know today

  1. President Donald Trump hosted a rally Tuesday night in Northeastern Pennsylvania to try to flip the script on affordability concerns. Before Trump spoke at the Mount Pocono casino, gamblers shared a mixed view of the economy.

  2. Twin Atlantic County brothers were arrested and charged Tuesday with allegedly writing threats on social media against a federal employee and immigration agents.

  3. A top Philadelphia fire department official was demoted amid a sexual harassment probe. The city refuses to discuss the case.

  4. The Frankford Arsenal once housed Philly’s narcotics unit. The site gave police officers brain cancer, lawsuits contend.

  5. New Jersey officials are asking residents to voluntarily curtail water as a plunge in rainfall strains reservoirs, streams, and aquifers.

  6. The University of Delaware on Tuesday appointed Laura A. Carlson, who had been serving as interim president, to the permanent post, effective Jan. 1.

  7. Philadelphia’s newest school building, Alternative Middle Years at James Martin in Port Richmond, will open in January. Take a look inside.

  8. Typical retail workers would need to make more than twice their annual wages to afford the region’s median-priced apartment, per Redfin.

  9. The Phillies and free agent slugger Kyle Schwarber have agreed on a new five-year contract worth $150 million. The team has also extended manager Rob Thomson’s contract through 2027.

Quote of the day

A five-week-long, multidisciplinary arts festival called What Now: 2026 will launch in May as part of the county’s Semiquincentennial. Collaborators include BlackStar, Philadanco!, and Theatre in the X.

P.S. Also coming in 2026? Year-round FringeArts programming, a souped-up RockyFest (possibly including a permanent Rocky statue atop the Art Museum steps), and lots of Liberty Bells.

🧠 Trivia time

Philly native Sheinelle Jones is taking over Hoda Kotb’s chair at Today permanently. She once worked as cohost of which other morning show?

A) Morning Joe

B) Good Day Philadelphia

C) Preston & Steve Show

D) Good Morning America

Think you know? Check your answer.

What (and where) we’re...

🏱 Eyeing: The Wanamaker building owners’ plans for a rooftop pool and a sunny Grand Court.

đŸŸ Living it up: Center City’s newest bar, which plans to serve caviar and $600 glasses of Champagne.

đŸ· Shopping: These excellent wine shops in Philly and the suburbs.

☕ Checking out: Trung NguyĂȘn, the Starbucks of Vietnamese coffee.

âšœ Considering: Philly’s Haitian soccer fans’ excitement for their team’s World Cup match at the Linc.

đŸ§© Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Area in Northeast Philadelphia

MISSION WING

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.

Cheers to Rohit Lal, who solved Tuesday’s anagram: Wynnewood. Residents of the Main Line community are building a Village to help Lower Merion’s older adults age in place.

Photo of the day

🎄 One last festive thing: Brandywine Valley businesses get a Christmas boom from Longwood Gardens visitors. In the run-up to the Kennett Square attraction’s light show festival, “we know that we need to be staffed up and ready,” one local restaurateur told The Inquirer.

Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer. Stay warm out there.

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