ALCOHOL IN CONNECTICUT

THE OTHER DAY, I REPORTED ABOUT HOW CONNECTICUT AND THE MASHANTUCKET PEQUOTS WERE TALKING ABOUT EXTENDING THE DRINKING HOURS AT THE CONNECTICUT CASINOS (FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO, MGM GRAND AT FOXWOODS, AND THE MOHEGAN SUN CASINO). THE PROPOSED HOURS WERE 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK (LIKE ATLANTIC CITY AND LAS VEGAS).

CONNECTICUT WITH ITS BUDGET DEFICIT OF ABOUT $300 MILLION EXPECTED BY THE END OF THE 2009 FISCAL YEAR (JUNE 30, 2009) IS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO GENERATE MORE REVENUES TO MAKE UP THE SHORTFALL. THE CASINOS ARE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO GENERATE MORE REVENUES FOR THEMSELVES. THE PROPOSAL COULD POSSIBLY GENERATE TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

IN NEW YORK FOR INSTANCES, THE BARS CAN OPEN AT 6:00 A.M. AND CLOSE AT 4:00 A.M. THE ONLY TIME IT IS DIFFERENT IS ON SUNDAY WHEN OPENINGS ARE AT 12:00 P.M. (NOON). IF A GAMBLER IN NEW YORK WANTS A DRINK, WHILE HE GAMBLES, HE CAN GO TO YONKERS RACEWAY WITH ITS FIVE THOUSAND (5,000) SLOT MACHINES. HE CAN DRINK UNTIL 4:00A.M. AND THEN START DRINKING AGAIN AT 6:00 A.M. OR 8:00 A.M. WHY WOULD THAT GAMBLER COME TO CONNECTICUT?

IN CONNECTICUT DRINKING OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES STOPS AT 1:00 A.M. WEEKDAYS AND 2:00 A.M. ON WEEKENDS.

WHAT ABOUT THE GAMBLER IN WESTERN CONNECTICUT, WOULD HE GO TO YONKERS OR MONTICELLO? I MIGHT IF I LIKED TO DRINK AND GAMBLE. HOW ABOUT PLACES LIKE RHODE ISLAND AND MASSACHUSETTS? WOULD THE CHANGING OF THE HOURS OF BEING ABLE TO DRINK AT THE CASINOS, MEAN MORE BUSINESS TO CONNECTICUT'S CASINOS? WHAT DO YOU THINK?

OPPONENTS ARE LIKELY TO SAY THAT IT WOULD MEAN MORE DRUNKEN DRIVERS ON THE HIGHWAYS, BECAUSE OF THE EXTENDED HOURS. I BELIEVE THE CASINOS DO A GOOD JOB OF NOT SERVING INEBRIATED PATRONS. I DO NOT BELIEVE, THERE IS ANY STUDY, THAT SHOWS THAT THE EXTENDED HOURS WOULD CREATE A LARGER PROBLEM. WHAT ABOUT THE PATRONS RESPONSIBILITY? DOES ANYONE KNOW?

ANOTHER PART TO THIS STORY IS THAT THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT IS THINKING OF ALLOWING PACKAGE (LIQUORS) STORES TO OPEN ON SUNDAYS. CONNECTICUT WOULD ALSO ALLOW FOOD STORES TO SELL ALCOHOL (BEER, AND WINE) ON SUNDAYS, TOO. HOW MANY PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN CONNECTICUT BY NEW YORK, MASSACHUSETTS, AND RHODE ISLAND BORDERS, MAY BE GOING ACROSS THE CONNECTICUT BORDERS TO BUY ALCOHOL ON SUNDAYS? HOW MUCH MONEY IS CONNECTICUT LOSING?

BARS AND RESTAURANTS IN CONNECTICUT, ARE PROBABLY SAYING THIS IS NOT FAIR. IT GIVES THE CASINOS AND UNFAIR ADVANTAGE. THEY ARE RIGHT. WHAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED THOUGH, IS THAT THE CASINOS PROBABLY GENERATE MORE REVENUE TO CONNECTICUT THAN ALL THE BARS AND RESTRAINTS IN CONNECTICUT COMBINED.

IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THIS TURNS OUT. IT WOULD HELP THE CASINOS AND IT WOULD HELP THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT. WHAT DO YOU THINK?