Indian Gaming

Writers say no to an expansion of non-Indian gaming in Connecticut:

Heard about the three new slots casinos being proposed for Connecticut?

Probably not, any more than you heard of plans to legalize keno (essentially electronic bingo) before legislative leaders slipped it into the budget in the waning hours of the 2013 legislative session last June. The goal was to raise $31 million over the next two years by putting keno in restaurants, bars and convenience stores.

Keno was never discussed by the appropriate committees, was not included in the legislative budget and was never proposed until the final budget document was made public on the day of the vote. Moreover, the legislation was apparently preceded by a secret deal to give the tribal casinos 12.5 percent of the profits in return for the tribes not insisting that keno falls under their exclusive right to offer casino-type games in Connecticut.

Critics cautioned that keno was a "slippery slope" the state shouldn't go down without a full public debate.

Now we're beginning to get a closer look at that slope.

Get the Story:
Robert Steele and Tony Hwang: State Sliding Down Slope To Video Slots (The Hartford Courant 1/31)

Related Stories:
Column: No deal with Connecticut tribes for Keno games (01/16)