Connecticut governor: Online gambling is inevitable

On Monday, Connecticut governor Dannel Malloy reiterated his belief that the legalisation of online gambling is inevitable in the wake of the recent Department of Justice policy change on the Wire Act.

Speaking to mainstream media reporters at his office, the governor said that it is inevitable online gambling will come to Connecticut, and that his administration is investigating what can be done to protect jobs associated with the state’s two tribal land casinos.

“The Internet is the Internet. You don’t turn off the Internet at any state’s borders,” he said. “It’s an impossibility.”

Malloy’s staff is additionally looking at whether to allow the casinos or the state lottery to handle any potential online gambling operations based in Connecticut, the Associated Press news agency reported.

“If it [online gambling] moves forward, and it’s clearly going to move forward, it’s going to be available in Connecticut,” he said. “Now we have to decide, in the state of Connecticut, what is our approach to that.”

Governor Malloy’s comments were immediately rejected by Republican Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, who said he doesn’t believe online gambling is inevitable as there is still the possibility that Congress will oppose and defeat any attempt at legalisation.

McKinney, who clearly opposes Internet wagering, said he believes that there are ways in which Connectcut can prevent or restrict the advent of internet gambling, and that the state should not replicate what other states may decide to do.

McKinney said: “I think the governor wants everybody to believe there’s nothing we can do about it and therefore he wants to gain revenue from it. That’s not right.”

Malloy responded by saying that the legalisation of internet gambling was a national decision that has largely already been made.