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Showing posts from February, 2020

Connecticut gamblers lost some $600M to online casinos

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  Years ago, I belonged to a group that tried to convince state lawmakers to reject online gambling. We got nowhere. We warned that online gaming would increase harm and produce no economic value. The data is showing what's happening.  Connecticut’s online casinos collected roughly $665 million after paying out winnings and making allowed deductions from October 2025 through September 2026. That gives a rough indication of players’ losses. The state received nearly $120 million of that money, which is what the chart shows. The state's cut is 18%.   What does that mean for Enfield?   Based on the problem gambling rate (state figure) of 1.8% -- and problem gamblers are the biggest source of gambling revenue --- approximately 600 adults in Enfield are problem gamblers. This means they have difficulty controlling their gambling, and may be in serious financial trouble.   There is another category called "at risk" -- as many as 1,600 people may be in this category. T...

Yes, climate change will increase Connecticut's population

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The state believes population in our cities will double in 25 years or so. This op-ed in the Courant (hopefully, it isn't paywalled) argues that Connecticut's population will see increases because of climate change. The impact of rising temperatures and sea levels on Southern states, as well as heat and water shortages in the Southwest, will make northern tier areas attractive as places to live. How will Enfield do? A wetter than normal climate is expected in our region. Temps will increase some in the valley, and the number of 90+ degrees annually will rise. https://www.courant.com/opinion/insight/hc-op-insight-assadourian-connecticut-cities-population-0202-20200131-5dod4i525zak5fhj6jjeevtbem-story.html