• 10 October 2021

Bettors and online casino players in Connecticut are excited as the state prepares to launch its legalized online gambling and betting markets. The Connecticut Lottery Corporation (CLC), the Mohegan Tribe, and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe have joined forces to launch online sports betting and online casino gaming in the state. The 7-day soft launch will begin at 3 p.m. EST on October 12.

Limited Participants In Soft Launch

The two tribes, as well as the CLC have chosen 750 patrons each to participate in the soft launch. This means that only 2,250 individuals in total can participate. FanDuel, DraftKings, and Rush Street Interactive contributed in selecting these individuals. They began selecting which people can join in on the fun from October 8, when the Department of Consumer Protection notified the operators.

Unfortunately for those participating, there will only be a limited amount of time for online sports betting during the soft launch. For the first two days, it will only be from 3:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. However, they will be extending the time limit as the soft opening goes further on. They will extend it from noon to 11:59 p.m. on the third and fourth day of the launch, October 14-15, before fully implementing it into a 24-hour operation from the fifth day onwards.

For the tribes, their online casino games will happen in their respective casinos, Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods. Meanwhile, the CLC will be operating the state’s in-person sports betting outside of these two establishments. They will be partnering up with Sportech to operate most of these sites. Sportech is currently running several off-track betting sites around the state.

Unfortunately, Lottery Corp. and their partner’s establishments have not yet been granted permission by the state to operate yet. The Lottery Corporation’s spokeswoman, Tara Chozet, stated that 15 retail sites are still waiting approval. These 15 locations are the only ones they are allowed to operate. In addition, they cannot open any online gambling establishment within 25 miles of a tribal casino.

Connecticut like most states with legalized gambling will require individuals to be physically present in the state to play online casino games or bet on sports. Operators will be using GPS fencing to stop anybody outside of Connecticut from carrying out any betting and online gambling transactions.

Big Windfall For State

Retail sports betting is still new in the state of Connecticut as it only went live in September 30, 2021. Now, with the addition of online sports betting and online casino games, the state is set to gain even more. Market analysts expect Connecticut to collect around $30 million in taxes in the first year alone.