Online Gambling Debate Reaches Connecticut

Add another state to the list of those contemplating solving their financial crises with regulated online gambling.
In Connecticut, a proposal has been made to expand the state’s lottery games to the Internet in order to bring in more revenue.
That doesn’t include online poker or other more traditional forms of Internet gambling. Still, the proposal is being treated by some as a move toward full online gambling regulation.
“A spokesman for eLottery Inc., the company that said it is ‘reaching out’ to [Governor] Malloy, claims the state could increase its annual lottery revenue by $150 million, or 15 percent, by making the state’s multiple lottery games available to a broader audience,” states the Connecticut Post in an editorial that opposes the proposal.
The proposal is being compared to a previous (and failed) effort to offer Keno in Connecticut.
Many states offer online lottery games but no other forms of Internet gambling, so Connecticut’s situation isn’t unique. The story is still noteworthy, though, especially within the larger trend of more and more states engaging in the growing debate over online gambling regulations.