NPR: Connecticut tribes discuss Internet gaming with state

Tuesday, January 24, 2012  

"At the height of the recession, revenue dipped more than 20 percent. Now, it's slowly climbing again.

Under an agreement with Connecticut, both casinos give 25 percent of their slot revenue to the state. When the U.S. Department of Justice cleared the way for states to operate online poker and lotteries last month, Bozsum says, he immediately made a call to Gov. Dannel Malloy. Since then, Malloy has spoken out in favor of Internet gambling.

"We're talking about the employment of tens of thousands of individuals," he says.

The governor is negotiating a deal that might put the tribes in charge of Connecticut's new online gaming enterprise.

Malloy says he's no fan of gambling, but he feels the state will lose big if it doesn't explore this potential new revenue stream. This is more important now as other states, including Massachusetts, enter the gaming market."

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Conn. Tribes Hope To Win Big With Online Poker (NPR 1/24)