About 3,000 lottery venues in Connecticut such as restaurants and bars began offering Keno last week.
The legislature authorized the addition last year after a hot debate that pitted those who wanted to raise more money against those who felt that Keno is a designer drug for problem gamblers.
Keno is a lottery draw game where winners are picked every four minutes. Results are displayed on live monitors in venues that sell the tickets.
Before Keno was allowed the state had to reach an agreement with its gaming tribes to split 25 percent of the profits between each of the tribes.
The new game is expected to bring in $13.6 million the first year and $30 million each year thereafter.
Lottery critic Robert Steele, who has long opposed any gaming expansion in the state declared last week “This is a casino game. The lottery argues this is a lottery game, but it’s in casinos all over the country.” He said the introduction of Keno is the first step in bringing in more casinos and money from daily fantasy sports.
Lottery CEO Anne M. Noble has a more benign view of the game. “Keno is an entirely new way to play the lottery, and is a more social way to enjoy lottery games,” she said.
It also provides more income for taverns and bars. It’s a welcome addition at Winners Bradley in Windsor Locks, where patrons can also bet on the horses, greyhounds or jai alai.
Brendan Downes at the Maple Café, interviewed by the Hartford Courant decided to bring Keno to his Irish pub because much of the competition was bringing it.
“Keno represents a chance to change this pattern for my business as well as others across the state,” he commented. “It would be the first new source of income for bars and restaurants in a long time.”
Keno is attractive for bars and restaurants because they get a cut of the total amount spent on the tickets, as well as the winners.
