Legal Sports Betting Launches in Connecticut
Published October 5, 2021 by Elana K
Sports betting is now legal in Connecticut as of September 30. Tribal casinos Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resorts, along with their respective online partners, FanDuel and DraftKings, have been granted sports betting licenses and went live on Thursday.
Sports betting is now legal in Connecticut as of September 30. Tribal casinos Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resorts, along with their respective online partners, FanDuel and DraftKings, have been granted sports betting licenses and went live on Thursday. Governor Ned Lamont visited both casinos to place the first ceremonial sports bets.
This is just the beginning of Connecticut sports betting. The state Lottery has partnered with Rush Street Interactive and will launch three online sportsbooks on October 7. The Lottery also plans to launch 15 in-person sportsbooks.
Finally Up and Running
Getting Connecticut sports betting up and running wasn’t an easy matter. Like several other states, Connecticut had the issue of tribal casinos to navigate, but Gov. Lamont did a superb job negotiating tribal compacts.
“We got this passed after some negotiating in May and here we are just four months later, casting the first bet,” the governor said on September 30. “I think that’s faster than you’ve seen in any other state in the country.”
Four other states also launched sports betting in September: Arizona, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming. Several others plan to launch operations before the year is over.
Sports Betting Potential in Connecticut
Experts predict that the state’s online gambling industry has the potential to generate $100 million a year in operator revenue, and about $20 million in state taxes a year. Online gambling is expected to roll out in the next few weeks and will add to the state’s total gambling industry revenue.
