Connecticut Sports Betting Set for Oct. 7 Launch

Finally, the state of Connecticut has a launch date for its regulated sports betting industry.

The Department of Consumer Protection, which is the body tasked with overseeing Connecticut’s regulated gambling market, confirmed last week that the precinct would be ready to start taking legal bets on Thursday, October 7. The regulator shared the information with Gov. Ned Lamont’s office, according to Connecticut Chief-of-Staff, Paul Mounds.

The confirmation comes just a few days after the Bureau of Indian Affairs approved the state’s amended gaming compacts with the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes.

The two federally recognized gaming tribes will be among the three entities allowed to run retail and online sportsbooks in the state when the regulated industry kicks off in early October. The third operator will be the Connecticut Lottery, which has teamed up with Rush Street Interactive for its sports wagering product.

The Lottery has also confirmed that it will be ready to launch its offering on the first day, but the tribes are yet to give specific go-live dates.

Where Will Connecticuters Place Legal Bets?

The Connecticut sports gambling law allows the three operators to offer both on-site and mobile betting.

The Mohegan tribe, which has partnered with FanDuel for both retail and online wagering, is putting up a temporary sportsbook inside its property where patrons can walk in and place in-person bets.

According to a statement released by the operator in July, the FanDuel-branded temporary book inside the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville will have 16 self-service kiosks and four betting windows. The Tribe also revealed plans to open a permanent sportsbook area inside the facility in Winter, which it said would be potentially the largest FanDuel retail wagering venue in the country.

The Mashantucket Pequot is also in the process of getting its physical sportsbook ready for the October launch.

Last week, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Chair Rodney Butler said that the tribe had some regulatory hurdles to clear before the sportsbook could open, such as acquiring vendor licenses and getting permits for its key employees. The tribe owns Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, and it will be working with DraftKings to offer bookmaking services to residents of the Nutmeg State.

In addition to the two tribal-owned physical sportsbooks, the state will have 15 retail sports betting venues, which will be sub-licensed to the Lottery. Some of the selected locations include Winners OTB and Bobby V’s restaurant in Norwalk and Stamford.

The CT Lottery retail betting locations as well as online sportsbook app will bear RSI’s PlaySugarHouse brand.

Online Gaming to Launch Later

Besides authorizing the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot Nations to add sports betting to their offering, the amended tribal compacts approved by the Department of the Interior also allow the two Connecticut gaming tribes to offer online casino games.

However, iGaming will launch at a later date, since the games must also be tested and certified by an independent testing lab before going live. The state’s regulations also require a mandatory 7-day soft-launch period for new online casino games.

The Nutmeg State will get 18% of the revenue from iGaming, while sports betting will be taxed at the rate of 13.75%.