State Collects $1.7 Million After First Month of Online Gaming and Sports Wagering
The Office of Governor Ned LamontGovernor Ned Lamont today announced that the State of Connecticut has collected roughly $1.7 million during the first month of legalized online gaming and sports wagering, which began in Connecticut with a soft launch on October 12.
Between the soft launch through October 31, the state collected approximately $513,000 from sports wagering and $1.2 million from online casino gaming. The funds will be deposited into the state’s general fund.
“This first revenue collection for our state reinforces the process and approach by my administration when it came to ensuring our sports betting and iCasino platforms worked seamlessly for consumers,” Governor Lamont said. “We worked tirelessly with our casino and state partners to ensure Connecticut consumers would have positive user experiences across platforms and that is exactly what these results illustrate. We’re off to a great start with this new gaming marketplace and we’re looking forward to years of success.”
The payments and other related data have been published onto the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection’s website at portal.ct.gov/DCP/Gaming-Division/Gaming/Gaming-Revenue-and-Statistics. This data will continue to be published monthly as payments are due on the fifteenth of each month. The data used in each calculation can be found by clicking the “view source data” link in the bottom corner of each chart on the website.
The payment due to the state is 13.75% of gross gaming revenue for sports wagering, and 18% for online casino gaming until 2026 when it will increase to 20%. The state does not collect payments on sports wagers placed on tribal lands.
Retail sports wagering through the Connecticut Lottery began on October 25.
Information about gaming in Connecticut is available at ct.gov/gaming.
Information on services available in Connecticut for those who may have a problem with gambling is available at portal.ct.gov/problemgaming.
Superintendent’s Message: “we can work to celebrate our students…:
Superintendent Thomas ScariceGreetings,
I hope that all of our families enjoyed a restful Thanksgiving weekend. Below are some updates for our school community related to school security and recent developments regarding the pandemic.
Safety and Security: It is troubling to consider that the only period of time void of school shootings occurred during the remote learning and full quarantine in the spring of 2020. Again yesterday, another unspeakable act of school violence took the lives of four innocent children in Michigan. In Connecticut, there were reports of a prop gun in one high school, a stabbing just outside another high school, and a bomb threat in a neighboring district. These events are an unfortunate, and heartbreaking, reminder of the world our children are growing up in.
In Westport, our vigilance in keeping our students safe is resolute and does not ebb and flow based on such tragedies. We are fortunate to have a strong partnership with our local police department, including regular patrols of a dedicated officer on our campuses, in addition to a full time School Resource Office (SRO) at our high school. Additionally, each school is staffed with full time security personnel and equipped with cameras and communication systems. Furthermore, our administrative team conducts regular drills to keep our faculty, staff and students fluent in procedures to maintain safety in the event of an emergency.
Finally, our increased focus on proactive measures to build community, while addressing emotional and mental wellness, serves to meet the needs of all of our students in providing interventions to those in distress. However, we count on our families to partner with us in open two way communication as no one knows your child better than you. Together, we can work to celebrate our students in the best of times, and support them in the most challenging of times.
COVID Update: Less than one month ago I shared with our families that Covid infection rates had hovered at levels we had not seen since May. In those few short weeks we have seen an increase in infections in the region and the warning of the Omicron variant. There is much to learn about how this variant might, or might not, impact our community. This is precisely why approaching the school year in 4-6 week increments is important.
Fortunately, hundreds of 5-11 year olds have been vaccinated in town, or are receiving their second shot, in addition to the high rate of vaccination among our staff, secondary students, and the community at large.
K-6 Weekly Serial Testing: With these developments, we will continue to administer our K-6 weekly voluntary serial testing program through the end of the calendar year at a minimum. Given transmission rates at that time, we will reassess the program and make considerations for the New Year.
Lunch and Dismissal: Students have returned to the cafeteria for lunch with some schools making modest exceptions based on sizes of individual grade levels. We continue to distance to the maximum extent possible. Additionally, each school, particularly at the elementary level, revised dismissal procedures to determine the most efficient way to release students to parents who are not taking the bus. Each school has a slightly different dismissal procedure based on a variety of factors (i.e. driveway capacity, traffic flow, etc.).
Vaccination Requirement for School Visitors: Since the beginning of the school year we have required proof of vaccination for school visitors. Additionally, the Governor used his Executive Powers to mandate vaccination for all employees with the provision of legal exemptions. We will continue to require vaccination for school visitors but we will employ the same approach for unvaccinated visitors as we do for unvaccinated employees. Effective immediately, we will require evidence of a negative Covid test within 72 hours prior to visiting our schools for unvaccinated visiting parents and caregivers.
School Performances and Concerts: It is the time of year for school concerts and performances. When rates plummeted last month we were able to welcome audiences with 100% capacity. With the recent increase in infection rates, the Westport/Weston Health District (WWHD) and our medical advisor, Dr. Norman Wienberger, have both asked that we limit audiences to accommodate appropriate distancing between family units. Some schools might use alternative venues to accommodate all parents. Your child’s school principal will provide additional information on this topic. We continue to recommend and expect all visitors will be vaccinated or test negative for Covid within 72 hours of attending a school concert or performance. Although we do not have the resources to check individuals upon entry after hours, it is an expectation and I am confident that our families will honorably respect this requirement.
Universal Masking: The Governor’s universal masking mandate for schools remains in effect through February 15, 2022. It is possible, based on vaccination and infection rates, that the Governor will revisit this provision after the New Year. In the interim, we will maintain universal masking.
Modified Quarantine Procedures “Screen and Stay”: We have successfully implemented the new quarantine procedures, “Screen and Stay” in the past month for students identified as close contacts. Vaccinated students and staff are not required to quarantine.
We will continue to monitor conditions as we flexibly employ mitigating measures in response to the pandemic. While rates have increased recently, I want to assure our families that throughout the entire pandemic, like most school districts, we have experienced little to no virus spread in our schools.
Respectfully,
Thomas Scarice
Superintendent of Schools
Newtown Turnpike Finds Light at the Country Store
The glow of the Country Store has provided light to the Newtown Turnpike/Wilton Road intersection for decades as a quick stop for locals heading home.
Westport COVID-19 Cases Up 3; State Positivity Rate Down, Hospitalizations Continue to Rise
The Westport-Weston Health District reported 3 new COVID-19 cases for Westport over the past day. The State’s daily test positivity rate was down to 5.37% while hospitalizations were up 20.
Westport total positive or probable cases: 2,213 cases.
Westport total COVID-19 Deaths: 32 deaths.
State Daily Test Positivity: 5.37% [down from 5.96%]
State Hospitalizations: 385 patients [+20]