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We 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

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