Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • February 10, 2020 • Hartford Business Journal 17 win depending on how many of their numbers match those on the screen. The maximum possible Keno pay- out is $1 million. That number hasn't been hit yet. The largest single prize so far was $200,000, won in Groton. Daybreak Doughnuts' DeLauren- tis said he sees his Keno sales grow- ing further this year. The only challenge with selling so much lottery, he said, is that his employees must juggle their vari- ous duties while serving customers playing the game. "The biggest problem is balancing it," he said. Besting Daybreak in Keno sales last year was the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge 289 in Stratford, which posted a stunning $1.1 million in sales, according to data provided by Connecticut Lottery. Moose Lodge operators did not respond to requests for comment, but according to the 300-member organization's nonprofit tax filings, it recorded nearly $143,000 in member gaming revenue in fiscal year 2018. On the horizon While future Keno growth looks promising, the Connecticut Lot- tery is on the hunt for new game opportunities. The quasi-public agency's lobbyists will again pursue the legalization of online lottery sales (known as "ilotto") this legislative session, and its odds of convincing law- makers may be as good as they've ever been. Democratic leaders have already signaled a strong push for sports bet- ting and various other gambling expansions this session and Gov. Ned Lamont has included online lottery sales in his revised fiscal 2021 budget in order to help defray the cost of a debt-free community college program. Online lotto sales are pro- jected to grow to $18.6 million by 2025, Lamont's budget said. Connecticut Lottery is also getting ready to launch a new game called Fast Play, which prints scratch-like instant tickets that don't need to be scratched to reveal the numbers. Smith wasn't ready to say much about the game, and couldn't provide a revenue projection, but he is generally optimistic. "This has got a potentially good upside, we'll be one of the 20 U.S. lot- teries that are offering it," he said. "I don't think it has the same revenue potential as Keno, … but it could also be a nice growth developer and something to attract attention for new players." In Pennsylva- nia, the first full year of selling Fast Play in fiscal 2018 brought in $114 million in sales revenue, according to the game's provider, Scientific Games. As expanded gaming possibili- ties swirl, Diana Goode, executive director of the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, says lawmak- ers should ensure there's enough funding to help those who need it. The help line run by the council has seen an increase in calls this past year, Goode said, but it's tough to pinpoint the exact reasons for that. "I think that gambling is a ball rolling down a hill — it's going to go," said Goode, whose organiza- tion doesn't take any formal pro or anti-gambling stance on bills in the Capitol. "You can get in front of it and get crushed, or you can make sure it doesn't crush anyone." Annual Keno sales revenue Source: CT Lottery 2017 2018 2019 $0 $40,000 $80,000 $120,000 Keno Sales (in 000s) $72,182 $86,428 $102,900 $72,182 $86,428 $102,900

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