With COVID-19 still at large and the increasing demand for online activities in our daily lives, officials have finally fulfilled their promise, taking steps to bring online betting to Connecticut. As the NFL season approaches, betting on sports will start early in the new season after Connecticut Lottery has picked vendors to oversee online betting venues. 

In Time For Football?

The Connecticut Lottery Corp has hinted that NFL football betting can start in the upcoming few months as a Chicago gaming company has been selected to operate virtual sports betting. There has also been a development in retail gambling venues, which hints the launch is very near.

Officials planned to start the entire process at the beginning of the new season, on September 9th, but with recent updates and statements, the Lottery Corp says gambling will start earlier in the season. Along with this update, Connecticut’s Native American casinos will also try to open their own sportsbooks following the enacted gambling law this year.

What Has Been Proposed?

On Thursday, the Lottery stated that they would partner with Rush Street Interactive to run an online sportsbook along with Sportech, which runs off-track-betting outlets in the state. They will operate the retail gambling venues and earn a percentage of the online revenue.

Rush Street Interactive also works under Rushbet, PlaySugarHouse, BetRivers, and RushBet. A brand from Connecticut is yet to be picked, and when asked why Rush Street was chosen, Simmelkjaer said Rush Street’s offer was the strongest. It was also stated that Connecticut expects to earn a minimum of $170 million in revenue from the 10-year contract.

Retail Sites

As previously mentioned, there will be 15 retail sites. Among these retail sites, 10 Sportech sites will be located in:

• New Britain
• Hartford
• Milford
• New Haven
• Manchester
• Stamford 
• Torrington
• Norwalk
• Windsor
• Waterbury Locks 

There will be five more sites that are yet to be announced.  Simmelkjaer said that the sites are selected to ensure that the people of Connecticut will only have to drive for a maximum of thirty minutes to go for the betting.

To expand online gambling, Mohegan Sun & Foxwoods Resort Casino will play an important role. Mohegan Sun has stated that they’ve already prepared a temporary sportsbook which will launch as soon as government approves. The Mohegan Sun Sportsbook will launch at the end of 2021 or the beginning of 2022. Ray Pineault, an executive of the casino, stated that the venue could become the largest FanDuel sportsbook in the USA.

Simmelkjaer stated that the Lottery retail network could generate more customers after being launched in the first few months of 2022. Officials also expect to bring in gamblers who will participate in the lottery & bet on teams. But he had no comments regarding any actual launch date. 

Legislation

Lamont also signed legislation on the 27th of May and thus legalized both sports betting and online gambling. This legalization also prompted state officials to get approval through the Department of Interior to amend the state’s revenue-sharing compacts with both the Mohegan & Mashantucket Pequot tribes. The deal became the final outcome of years of interactions and negotiations.

Expanded betting on state levels was set into motion in 2018 when one Supreme Court ruling nullified a federal ban regarding state authorization on sports betting. The other states, which included New Jersey and Rhode Island, also then approved sports betting. 

But Connecticut waited on the sidelines while officials worked and argued to agree with Connecticut’s two federally established tribes who claimed exclusive rights regarding gambling on sports.

The legislation then went on and authorized Connecticut’s, Lottery Corp. The Lottery corp will now work to operate fifteen sports gambling areas, which included locations in both Hartford & Bridgeport. This authorization also enacted a tax rate of 13.75% on sports betting, part of a betting expansion package.

This new law now opens a doorway to bring in casino games with sports betting and lottery to any digital devices, meaning you, the people of Connecticut, can now enter the gambling stages via your computer, laptop, smartphone, and many more.

Summary

Connecticut is only a few steps away from starting its online gambling platforms, which is an exciting prospect for bettors. BetAppBet provides you with the best legal sportsbook apps available, including PointsBet, allowing you to choose which app is best for you to use. If you are unsure about what is legal in your state, visit BestAppBet’s state page to view the legal gambling status in your state. 

So visit Best App Bet today, sign up and claim your free bets to place on your favorite sporting events or online casinos!