by Anthony Megna

Created on: June 06, 2009   Last Updated: February 06, 2011

Legalized Keno gambling in Connecticut is one surefire way to balance the budget! Connecticut already has casino gambling and it seems the Indians are much better off for it. These are Indian run casinos, named Foxwoods and Mohegun Sun. Before these casinos, the unemployment rate was high in the Indian community and poverty was rampant. Things are different now and have been, for around twenty years.

Okay, the state is making money from the casinos, so why do they need another form of chance to balance their budget? Because besides raising taxes, which no one ever wants, Keno gambling is a voluntary tax. If people want to go off and blow their paychecks at the casino with gambling, they can right now. All they have to do is go visit the Indians and all the games one could ever want are right there. So the argument about gambling as a "sin" tax, just doesn't apply in this state.

No one is forcing a player to wager on Keno. No one is holding a gun to anyone's head to make a bet on the lottery. Connecticut's neighbor Massachusetts, has Keno gambling and is doing quite fine, thank you. Of course, Massuchusetts dropped the ball on casinos, when they voted down the casino bill all these years. And guess what? When you drive to Foxwoods, take a look at the license plates on the vehicles parked there. A ton of cars are from Massachusetts. Not too smart from a "Tea Party" state, is it? Billions of dollars of lost revenue migrated to Connecticut and Massachusetts has suffered and is still suffering for it.

Face the facts, gambling has been around from the first caveman throwing bones around his cave and will probably be around, when Man travels to another solar system. It is in Man's makeup to gamble. Without taking risks, Man would stagnate. Why not profit from this trait that is not going to go away, even though some people would like it to. We have all heard about Columbus taking a "chance" and finding the "New World". Well, it might be cliche, but it's true. Risk is part of our makeup. People say, "Gambling is a waste of money and a waste of time". Maybe, but so is smoking and drinking and all the other so-called "Sin Tax" activities. People are still going to do it. The sooner people realise it, the better. It's not going to go away. So profiting from these activities makes sense. If the money can go to help build a school or provide more health care, or a million other uses for the people of Connecticut, then why not?

The sooner Keno gambling is passed in Connecticut, the faster those dollars will come to the state. You can bet on it.

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