In 2021 Connecticut authorized the regulated sports betting and online casinos in the state. Since then, there has been a lot of discussion and debate about the issue of problem gambling behaviors in the state.
Now the Mohegan Tribe, operators of the state’s premier casino Mohegan Sun, has extended support to new legislation that will fund research into the impact and prevalence of problematic gambling habits in Connecticut.
In the last few months, numerous states in America have started their own legal sports betting and online gambling operations. Regulated wagers have become major contributors to state economies. Online betting has also brought with it another new development.
Instead of just gambling with traditional fiat money, many people have started using their digital assets like cryptocurrencies to place bets. More and more crypto gambling sites are sprouting up for this purpose.
The decision was announced by James Gessner Jr., the Chairman of the Mohegan Tribe, on Thursday in a letter to the Public Safety and Security Committee. Gessner’s decision comes on the heels of a forum conducted by the Committee on 24th Jan on gaming-related issues. At the forum, Diana Goode, Executive Director Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, claimed that crisis calls to their helpline numbers had increased 4x times since the state’s introduction of sports betting and online gambling in October 2021.
Gessner, in his letter, mentioned the inadequacy of data collection about gambling habits and promised the support of Mohegan Entertainment and Mohegan Tribe in efforts to understand better and manage the impact of problem gambling habits on their players as per recent betting news.
Gessner also highlighted that Mohegan has already spent close to $8 million in assisting people dealing with gambling addictions. He also mentioned that Mohegans are always ready to lend a helping hand to the residents of Connecticut. They have done so during the Covid-19 pandemic by handing out PPEs in the community, and they want to keep doing so by being a part of this study of the mental health impact of gambling.
Since 2009, no other State legislated study has been conducted about gambling behavior in Connecticut. The Chairman of the Public Safety Committee, Cathy Osten, is very keen to make it happen this year.
The world of finance is at an exciting turn, but studies into the mental health implications of these changes are also absolutely essential to create a long-term sustainable system.
