When people talk about betting in the USA, they think about Las Vegas Nevada. However, the project of Connecticut is about to overshadow the Mecca of gaming. The state of New England is on its way to undertake several changes. Those include the founding of a third casino and more venues for off-track betting in the region. Besides that, the project is going to introduce sports betting online to the community. Experts see that plan as the biggest expansion in the betting industry of the USA for the last 20 years.
Sports wagering is a worldwide trend, and its introduction to the state was only a matter of time. As soon as it happens, the citizens of Connecticut will have access to top rated sportsbooks and their mobile features. As a punter, you should take the time to view the top gambling applications sorted for you online, before placing a bet through a mobile device.
The supporters of the expansion are mostly bookmakers and gambling addicts. Although they are sure in the profits of the project, some recent researches prove these expectations wrong. The gaming project is going to change the state of Connecticut, but nobody can guarantee that the pros will be worth the cons. Lawmakers are concerned about preserving the revenue and jobs of the state.
Pros and Cons of the Expansion
The gambling expert Rachel A. Volberg shared his opinion on the subject as a president of the Gemini Research in Northhampton, Massachusetts. He said that the gaming expansion of Connecticut could deepen the wagering problem in the next couple of years. Volberg has seen many jurisdictions making the same mistake, without realising the consequences. Any expansion of the betting industry comes with the risk of turning a lot of people into gambling addicts.
The project of Connecticut was backed by the legislature of the state at the beginning of June. According to the legal authorities, the expansion can not be compared to the case of the 1990s. Bach then, two new casinos were introduced to the citizens of the state. These included the likes of the modern day gaming giants Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort.
Despite the risks, Volberg and other experts see the potential of sports betting. Although gaming already has a significant presence in the state of Connecticut, there is still room for improvement. For example, the residents of the Hartford could use a shortcut. If there’s a gambling facility in East Windsor, people from the neighbouring districts wouldn’t have to drive all the way to the southeastern corner of Connecticut. Therefore the expectations regarding the new casino are big. The facility in East Windsor is going to offer 150 table games and 2,000 slot machines.
Purpose of the new Casino
According to Marc N. Potenza, the mental state of the players plays an important role. The professor of psychiatry works at the Yale University in New Haven, where he is the director of the Center of Excellence for gambling researchers. Marc N. Potenza stated how important it that people don’t feel complacent. That is the reason why the state has been offering other forms of gambling, besides casino games, for many decades.
Since the project is already on the go, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy will put his signature on the legislation. Despite that, it could take months before turning the first sod. Even after that, the casino will open doors after a couple of years. The court challenges are also an important matter to take care of. According to the state jurisdiction, the new gambling venue is going to be run by the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes. Those are two of the leading operators in the US casino industry. Each of them has created a gambling empire of its own outside the New London district.
The East Windsor gaming facility is supposed to blunt the competitivity of another operator, located in Springfield. Although the latter casino complex is still under construction, its revenue could reach 950 million USD. Therefore, Connecticut needs a new facility to protect its own business.
Importance of the Gambling Revenue
The state used to hold 25 percent of the incomes regarding slot games in the district. However, the revenue has been eroding in recent years, because of the casinos in the neighbouring states. Many of those facilities have challenged the gaming giants Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. The goal is a better position in the betting industry. Even the people who support the gambling expansion believe that the competition has put the jobs of many casino employees at risk.
The introduction of sports and off-track betting sites has legalisation issues to solve. Gathering enough votes for the approval of a casino expansion requires certain preparations. The most important one is to set up a regulatory framework for the new gaming options. The operators of BestBettingApplications also had to go through that procedure. No matter how good the gaming application and promotions or customers services are, online bookmakers and casinos without a legislation have no permission to operate.
The financial stability of Connecticut is dependent on the betting industry. Over the years, off-track betting has become one of the primary sources of incomes. Once sports wagering becomes legal, the revenue of the state is bound to increase. That is why the new gaming option has the potential to keep the budget of the New England district balanced.
Funds For Problem Gambling
Mashantucket Pequots and Mohegans confirmed that they are willing to make a contribution to the third casino in the state. The new operator will receive 300,000 USD from each of them per year. The money will be used for research and treatment referring to problem gambling. However, the contributors are not as generous as they look. The amount they are donating isn’t any different from the funding level at the time when the casinos opened.
Marlene Warner works at the Connecticut Council as an executive director. Most of her researches are about casino gaming. As an expert, she believes that understanding how to deal with problem gambling requires knowledge about its reach and influence. She also stated that nobody funded a comprehensive study of the matter in the New England district. That is why there are no statistics about the problem gambling in Connecticut.
The budget of the state council regarding the issue is 800,000 USD. According to the executive director, that amount of money won’t be enough for finding a proper solution. Other institutions of the USA, like the one in Massachusetts, have 2.5 million USD in store when it comes to problem gambling.