"Faced with a drop of as much as 9 percent in revenues this year, Connecticut’s two Indian casinos have come up with a bright idea: they want to serve alcohol 24 hours a day, which would require an exemption from state law.

Connecticut currently forces the casinos to turn off the tap at 1 a.m. on weekdays and 2 a.m. on weekends, just like any other bar. That seems like plenty of time to drink.

Indian casinos are not your run-of-the-mill taverns: they don’t charge gamblers for the alcohol they consume. Neither, of course, do many other casinos, including those in Atlantic City.

What Atlantic City casinos have that Connecticut’s do not is round-the-clock drinking. Advocates for the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods say that an exemption to the state’s drinking laws would allow Connecticut’s casinos to be more competitive with their New Jersey rivals.

It’s a weak argument. Gambling revenues in Atlantic City are down at least as much — even with their all-night drinking."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Indian Casinos Ask: What is Gambling Without Alcohol? (The New York Times 12/5)