A new study shows that problem gambling has declined in Connecticut from the time when the only options were at the state’s two Indian casinos and the state lottery.
Gemini Research, in partnership with the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, released the “Impacts of Legalized Gambling in Connecticut” study, which evaluates how the expansion of commercialized gaming affects state residents.
The study, which surveyed more than 8,000 Connecticut adults, found that 69 percent of participants had taken part in some form of gambling in the past year, with 67.5 percent of those having wagered online on sports.
Overall, the study reports that 1.8 percent of state residents suffer from gambling-related issues, down from a roughly 3.2 percent rate reported in 1991.
“Considering that legal gambling availability has continued to increase both in Connecticut and North America more generally beyond the early 2000s, the present fairly low rate of problem gambling illustrates that populations tend to adapt to the presence of legalized gambling over time,” said the study authors, who included Gemini President Rachel Volberg.
