A comprehensive study conducted by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services reveals a high level of satisfaction among Connecticut residents with the state’s gambling options.
The study, “Impacts of Legalized Gambling in Connecticut,” was prepared by Gemini Research and funded by a $1.2 million investment. It offers an in-depth look at the effects of legalized gambling, including sports betting and online casino gaming, which were legalized in Connecticut in 2021.
According to the research findings, two-thirds of residents are content with available Connecticut gambling facilities, indicating a positive reception to the state’s gambling landscape. This satisfaction extends to the state’s efforts in caring for problem gamblers, with no significant increase in their numbers post-legalization of sports betting and online casino gaming.
“There is nothing in this report that people should not have already known,” State Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, who supported the gambling expansion, said to The Day.
The study, which surveyed more than 5,000 people, found that 62.6 percent engaged in recreational gambling in the past year. Meanwhile, 4.9 percent were identified as “at risk” of becoming problem gamblers and 1.8 percent were classified as problem gamblers. This rate of problem gambling is consistent with findings from a 2009 study and represents a decrease from rates observed in 1996 and 1991.
The study also used cell phone location data to analyze casino revenue sources, finding that 50.5 percent of revenue at southeastern Connecticut’s tribal casinos, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, comes from state residents. The study suggests that the emergence of Massachusetts casinos since 2015 has had minimal effect on Connecticut casino revenue.
Regarding the state’s approach to problem gambling, the study states, “in general, it can be said that problem gambling treatment and prevention in Connecticut has been quite proactive and provides a good model for the rest of the country.” It highlights that the treatment resources available are more than adequate to meet demand.
Further, the study examines the correlation between gambling and various social issues. It notes a decline in bankruptcy rates, family violence, divorce rates and child abuse rates in Connecticut over the past 10 years, contradicting trends found in the 2009 gambling impact study.
