How Connecticut Sports Gambling Has Succeeded As Mass. Entering The Fold – NBC Connecticut

How Connecticut Sports Gambling Has Succeeded As Mass. Entering The Fold – NBC Connecticut

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In the North, the gates have opened to sports betting.

“Like any gambling, I think it’s a good idea as long as people don’t abuse it,” said John Polvic of Holyoke, Massachusetts.

On Tuesday, Massachusetts became the fourth New England state to allow sports gambling.

“This is a massive social change in America,” said Declan Hill, an associate professor at New Haven University.

Hill believes one of the most significant changes has been the entry of online sports betting.

“They call it frictionless gambling,” Hill said.

Connecticut residents will be able to participate in online casino games and mobile sports betting from late 2021, changing the landscape for the top bettors.

“I thought problem gamblers were little old ladies at slot machines, but now they’re not, they’re men in their 20s who gamble on sports,” says Diana Goode of the CT Council on Problem Gambling. says Mr.

Neither Goode nor Hill said they were against sports betting if done with caution.

But despite acknowledging the risks, Connecticut has made significant profits since the first online sports betting took place in October 2021. According to state data, Connecticut attracts about $16 million in online sports betting.

Luke Terry, a sophomore at Trinity College, said:

Goode said that while sports betting is a hot topic, it is the online casino games that are really getting the attention.

“People are on DraftKings, FanDuel, sports betting, maybe the season is over now, but they’re still using apps, they’re looking around for what else, and online casinos are It’s there,” Goode said. .

Numbers reflect interest. According to state data, online casino games have brought in about $47 million since 2021.

“Maybe a little too easy,” Terry said. “Honestly, it’s probably not for everyone because it’s probably a little too easy to pull out your phone and say, ‘That’s $10.'”

Connecticut offers many programs for people in need, including self-exclusion, which allows people to voluntarily not allow gambling in Connecticut.

That said, the legalization of sports betting in all three contiguous states increases the risk of circumventing that exemption, which the CT Council on Problematic Gambling wants to address.

“One of the things we are working on is regional self-exclusion across New England, so if you exclude online in Connecticut, you also exclude Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York,” Goode said. says Mr.

Anyone needing help with a gambling problem should call 888-789-7777.

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