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| Yes | 55% | 67 votes | Total: 122 votes | |
| No | 45% | 55 votes |
Yes
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Add to FavoritesWe seem to have a preoccupation in this country with encouraging legislation restricting "bad" behavior. The irony is that the people we elected to do that legislating are usually engaging in the same behavior (or worse) that they are trying to restrict. With all the problems going on around us today, is playing a game of Keno really that serious an offense?
Currently in Connecticut there are two of the three largest casinos in the world behind the Venetian in Macau, China (at 550,000 square feet of gaming space). Mohegan Sun is located in Uncasville, CT, on land belonging to the Mohegan Tribe. With 364,000 square feet of gaming space, Mohegan Sun is the second largest casino in the world. Foxwoods is located in Ledyard, CT, on land belonging to the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe. With 340,000 square feet of gaming space it is the third largest casino in the world. The amount of money that the state of Connecticut has received from the two casinos combined is in the billions. Mohegan Sun alone has paid the state over two billion dollars since 1996 just from slot revenue.
Should Keno become legal in Connecticut, the estimated revenue the state will receive is somewhere in the area of $60 million a year. Will this solve the current projected state deficit of about $8 billion in the next two years? No, of course not. It will bring the state another estimated $60 million closer though.
What are the reasons to keep Keno illegal in Connecticut? The most common argument seems to be on moral grounds, that this will encourage more gambling, create more individuals with gambling problems and/or feed into those who already have the addiction, and disproportionately effect the poor over the rich. While these points may have some truth to them, the real issue comes down to personal responsibility. Nobody is forced to gamble, it is an individual's choice. All of us who choose to gamble know that the odds of winning are always against us. As far as the addiction argument goes, people have all sorts of addictions. Cigarettes and alcohol are the first to spring to mind, yet they are both still legal (although there are still some who argue that cigarettes and alcohol should be illegal as well). There are some people who are addict to food, coffee, even sex, should we legislate against any of these? Of course not, that would be ridiculous. The fact remains that just because something has the potential to become addictive does not mean it should be illegal.
As to whether legalizing Keno would negatively effect the poor more than the rich, there is some weight to this. A wealthy person looking to gamble would probably be more likely to go to one of the casinos or travel to Atlantic City or Las Vegas than they would be to play Keno locally. Those who can not afford to travel out of state or to one of the Connecticut casinos would be more likely to play Keno. Is this a legitimate reason not to legalize Keno? No. Many of these same people already play the state lottery or Power Ball, bet on sports games (betting on the Super Bowl is practically expected), or even play a game of cards among friends in which they wager money. With the exception of the state lottery, Connecticut does not make any tax revenue off of these wagers. Were these same people to start betting on state sanctioned Keno games, the state of Connecticut would be benefiting.
State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal did make a very good point in exploring the benefits and risks of legalizing Keno. If Keno were to become legal in Connecticut, would that then risk the revenue received from Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun's slot machines? This does seem to be a possibility. Would Keno be able to make enough revenue to supplement any losses at the slot machines? There is no way to know for sure. Right now, any amount of money that Keno would make for the state is only an estimate. Even the amount of money slot machines will bring into the state for 2009 is only a projection.
If legalizing Keno has the potential of bringing in millions of dollars in extra revenue, it is worth a try. There does not seem to be many legitimate reasons to keep it illegal in the first place. With two of the three largest casinos in the world already in Connecticut, not to mention the state lottery, Power Ball, scratch off games, etc., the legalization of Keno appears to be a non-issue. Our focus would be better spent on more important issues.
Learn more about this author, James Kellard.
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No
Connecticut should not legalize gambling to balance the budget. Gambling has become a socially acceptable pastime in the US, but few understand how destructive gambling can be. Legalizing gambling to pay for the state's budget is equivalent to legalizing heroin to pay for the state's budget. While the latter would be seen as repulsive, the former is considered perfectly fine. This is part of the deeply flawed view towards gambling.
Gambling is addictive. This is not a widely recognized fact due to the gambling lobby in bed with Congress. But the truth is that gambling is not harmless. According to overcominggambling.c om, a gambling addiction recovery website, 15 million Americans display signs of gambling addiction. Gambling is as addictive as alcohol or drugs, according to the American Psychological Association. Two-thirds of American adults placed some kind of bet last year.
Pathological gamblers can get themselves into more trouble than people realize. 65 percent of gamblers turn to crime to support their habit. After casinos opened in Atlantic City, the crime rate within a 35 mile radius increased by 100 percent. This is due to the fact that most pathological gamblers are male, and males are more likely to become violent. The average debt incurred by a male pathological gambler is between $55,000 and $90,000. One in five gamblers attempt suicide, a rate that is 20 times higher than for non-gamblers.
The prevalence of gambling means that people who should not be gambling can do so more easily. Gamblers with household incomes under $10,000 bet three times more on lotteries than those with incomes over $50,000. In addition, gambling among young people, even those who cannot legally gamble, has shot up: 42 percent of 14-year-olds, 49 percent of 15-year-olds, 63 percent of 16-year-olds, and 76 percent of 18-year-olds.
The Gamblers Anonymous website defines compulsive gambling as a progressive illness that can never be cured, but with treatment, it can be stopped for a time. A compulsive gambler is like an alcoholic; after recovery, they can never gamble again. If they tried, they would fall back into their destructive habits.
It is sick for states to profit off of such an awful, addictive habit. It is different to tax alcohol and cigarettes because, while those are both addictive, they are already legal. There isn't a whole lot anyone can do about those. However, legalizing something as destructive as gambling solely for the purpose of making money for the state is beyond immoral; it's repulsive and wrong. Connecticut would do better to find a money-making operation that won't increase their crime and suicide rates.
Learn more about this author, Hannah Penfield.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
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