(MM)
NOW -- TAKING AN ONLINE
GAMBLE.
THE TARGET 12
INVESTIGATORS WANTED
TO KNOW---- THE
CHANCES OF SPORTS
BETTING MAKING A JUMP
FROM TWO LOCATIONS IN
RHODE ISLAND... TO
ANYWHERE ---INCLUDING
YOUR LIVING ROOM.
(HE)
WE FOUND OUT---ONLINE
SPORTS BETTING FROM
YOUR PHONE OR
COMPUTER IS EXPECTED
TO BE UP FOR DEBATE AT
THE STATE HOUSE IN A
MATTER OF MONTHS.
BUT WE'RE KICKING OFF
THE DISCUSSION RIGHT
NOW.
(MM)
TARGET 12 INVESTIGATOR
WALT BUTEAU HAS THE
DETAILS.
ACCORDING TO A COUPLE OF
PREDICTIONS, THE AMOUNT
BET ON SPORTS IN RHODE
ISLAND WOULD SKYROCKET,
AND THE REVENUE FOR THE
STATE COULD DOUBLE, IF
SPORTS BETTING IS ALLOWED
ONLINE.
WHEN THE FIRST SPORTS
BETTING CROWD GATHERED IN
OCTOBER AT TWIN RIVER ---
SENATE PRESIDENT DOMINICK
RUGGERIO WAS AT THE FRONT
OF THE LINE, PLACING A BET
FOR CHARITY.
AND HE TELLS US HE WILL BE
AT THE FRONT OF THE
STATEHOUSE PITCHING A
MEASURE EARLY NEXT
SESSION, THAT WOULD ALLOW
ONLINE SPORTS BETTING.
WALT: What's your gut on the
possibility of this getting on
the
books next year?
RUGGERIO: I'm optimistic. I
think
we have sports betting now. I
don't
see why we can't have mobile
sports betting.
HOUSE SPEAKER NICHOLAS
MATTIELLO TELLS US---"IF A BILL
ON THIS ISSUE IS INTRODUCED,
IT WILL GET A FAIR PUBLIC
HEARING."
RUGGERIO'S EDUCATED
GUESS IS THE STATE'S SPORTS
BETTING REVENUE WOULD
DOUBLE TO ABOUT 50 MILLION
DOLLARS A YEAR, IF GAMBLERS
COULD WAGER ONLINE,
ANYWHERE IN THE STATE.
OXFORD ECONOMICS OFFERS
A POTENTIALLY BIGGER TAKE
FOR RHODE ISLAND IN A
REPORT RELEASED IN MAY OF
LAST YEAR.
IN A HIGH TAX RATE
SCENARIO...THE STUDY
PREDICTS THE HANDLE---AS IN
THE AMOUNT BET ON
SPORTS---- WOULD REACH
MORE THAN 1 POINT 1 BILLION
DOLLARS A YEAR....WITH THE
STATE COLLECTING JUST
UNDER 80 MILLION IN REVENUE.
(stand up)
BUT CRITICS ARE CONCERNED
ABOUT ANOTHER NUMBER ---
ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL
COUNCIL ON PROBLEM
GAMBLING...
18,000 PROBLEM GAMBLERS
LIVE IN RHODE ISLAND. ..
Professor Pat Kelly, Providence
College
2:50 I've studied problem
gambling
issues for the last ten years,
PROVIDENCE COLLEGE
MATHEMATICS PROFESSOR PAT
KELLY DOES NOT LIKE THE
ODDS OF MAKING IT EASIER TO
BET ON SPORTS OR ANYTHING,
ESPECIALLY FOR ANYONE WHO
CAN'T STOP UNTIL THEY'RE OUT
OF CASH.
Professor Pat Kelly, Providence
College
In virtually every case that
I've
studied, it's a tragedy. So I'm
in the
tragedy prevention business.
3:00
SENATOR RUGGERIO TELLS US
A LOOK AT THE SOCIAL IMPACT
WILL BE PART OF THE
PROCESS.
BUT HE ARGUES SPORTS
BETTING IS ALREADY
HAPPENING--ILLEGALLY.
Ruggerio: We can use the revenue
more than whoever else is
getting
the revenue.
Walt: The bookies?
Ruggerio: The bookies, okay.
00:02:45;14
Professor Pat Kelly, Providence
College
If somebody can end up gambling
on their phone I think that's a
recipe
for big time problems. 3:40
IN SPORTS BETTING, RHODE
ISLAND'S TAKE IS 51 PERCENT
OF THE LOSSES.
ON-LINE SPORTS BETTING
WOULD NOT REQUIRE A
STATEWIDE REFERENDUM TO
BE APPROVED.
WITH THE TARGET 12
INVESTIGATORS, WALT BUTEAU,
GAMBLE.
(MM)
RHODE ISLAND'S SENATE
PRESIDENT TELLS THE
TARGET 12
INVESTIGATORS THAT HE
IS "OPTIMISTIC" ON-LINE
SPORTS BETTING WILL BE
LEGALIZED NEXT YEAR.
AS WE TOLD YOU AT 5,
THAT COULD BRING IN
MILLIONS MORE IN
REVENUE TO THE STATE. . .
(HE)
BUT WE WANTED TO
KNOW IF PROGRAMS THAT
HELP PROBLEM
GAMBLERS WILL GET A
FINANCIAL BOOST AS
WELL.
TARGET 12 INVESTIGATOR
WALT BUTEAU HAS THOSE
DETAILS.
The state currently contributes
a
fraction of one percent of
annual
gaming reventue to help problem
gamblers.
And one estimate puts the number
of Rhode Islanders with gambling
problems at about 18-thousand.
This is the crowd from the first
day
sports betting was allowed in
Rhode
Island...
And the demand has been
steady---with one eyewitness
telling
us the line to wager on sports
at
Twin River was an hour and half
long on Sunday, leading up to
the
one o'clock NFL games.
Providence College Professor
Patrick Kelly, who's studied the
social impact of gambling for a
decade, believes making sports
betting easier and more
accessible
will be a recipe for big time
problems.
One issue that sticks out for
him is
how little the state spends on
prevention.
---------------
RI has received over $300
million in
the last year from its casinos,
and
has invested a total of about
$150k
in problem gambling prevention
and
treatment programs. And that's
too
low.
A national study by Oxford
Economics estimates Rhode Island
could collect 80 million in
revenue if
on-line sports betting is in
play.
Senate president Dominick
Ruggerio -- who is working on an
on0line gaming legalization
measure he hopes to introduce
early next year --- says he
would
consider contributing more to
programs that help problem
gamblers, if necessary.
---------------
Are you woried about the social
impact. I'm always concerned
about
the social aspect. Not overly
worried
because like I said I think you
have
that going on without the state
invovlement.
If passed, Rhode Island would be
one of only a few states that
allow
on-line sports betting....and
the first
to allow it in New England.
With the Target 12
Investigators,
Walt Buteau, EWN.