Draftkings Sportsbook Connecticut

7/11/20227/11/2022

For years, talks of expanded gambling and sports betting has brought arguments and legal threats in the state of Connecticut.

The situation appears much different now.

(Nasdaq: DKNG) is a digital sports entertainment and gaming company created to fuel the competitive spirit of sports fans with products that range across daily fantasy, regulated gaming and digital media. Sports betting is not yet possible in Connecticut, though it is technically legal. In 2017, lawmakers passed a gaming package that called on regulators to establish the state’s industry pending a change in federal law. Connecticut’s law became active under that ruling, but it still needs some.

We are regulated by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement as an Internet gaming operator in accordance with the Casino Control Act N.J.S.A. 5:12-1 and its implementing regulations.
Of course, the launch of DraftKings Sportsbook by Foxwoods Casino remains contingent upon Connecticut lawmakers actually legalizing sports betting and the companies gaining necessary regulatory approvals. The torchbearer for the legislative effort favoring the tribes is Sen.

Multiple reports from local media in Connecticut suggest sports betting in Connecticut might be the closest thing to a slam dunk the industry’s seen.

CT sports betting has been in the news recently after the Mashantucket Pequot Indians, who operate Foxwoods casino, announced they would partner with DraftKings Sportsbook for online sports betting and daily fantasy sports.

Gov. Lamont backs iGaming, sports betting in Connecticut

Gov. Ned Lamont sounds like he’s done fighting for an open market and is ready to give exclusivity to the state’s two gaming tribes, according to the CT Mirror.

The Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Indians have exclusive gaming rights in Connecticut in exchange for 25% of slot revenue. They contend those exclusive rights include sports betting as well.

Lamont originally wanted the tribes to have competition in the state but has changed his tune:

“[Online gambling] is something that’s going on all around us, and I think Connecticut should participate. If we found out anything in the course of this horrible COVID cycle, more and more of the world is going virtual, more and more of the world is going online. That’s tele-health and tele-learning, but it’s also iGaming and sports betting. And I don’t think you want Connecticut left behind.”

Connecticut isn’t quite surrounded by legal online sports betting just yet, but it could be soon. Rhode Island on its eastern border recently opened its market to allow remote registration.

Legalizing sports betting in Massachusetts to the north seems like a strong possibility for next year while New York seems to always be close to legalizing mobile sports betting.

Rep. Scanlon ‘guarantees’ legal CT sports betting

Lamont makes it clear he wants to see gaming expansion happen, but doesn’t quite guarantee it’s coming. But Rep. Sean Scanlon did just that in a conversation with Native Business magazine.

Scanlon is the incoming House co-chair of the legislature’s Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, so it makes sense he’d be in the know about topics that should bring revenue to the state:

“Sports betting will be legalized in 2021. You can bet on it.”

Positive comments from tribal leaders, too

Representatives from both the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Indians spoke positively to the Mirror about gaming expansion in the state.

“We’ve had ongoing conversations with the governor,” said Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Chairman Rodney Butler. “He has been engaged, and we’re looking forward to getting into much more detailed conversations.”

“Certainly the pandemic has been a challenge to all of us globally, but I think it has brought some clarity to this industry and what the future may hold for our partnership,” added Chuck Bunnell, chief of staff of the Mohegan Tribal Nation.

Tribes backed off joint Connecticut casino

Another sign of positive communication between the two sides could be the immediate end of plans for a joint casino.

On Wednesday, the tribes announced they were temporarily suspending plans for the Tribal Winds casino. The official reason is because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The proposed location is a 15-mile drive on I-91 away from MGM Springfield in Massachusetts. The idea was to put a casino closer so those dollars wouldn’t leave the tribes and the state.

Lamont regularly asked the tribes to drop the idea and focus on expansion elsewhere in the state. MGM Resorts has fought the project for years and currently has a federal lawsuit filed against the Department of the Interior.

Dropping the project wasn’t required as part of a deal for expanded gaming, Lamont said according to the Hartford Courant. But he certainly wasn’t mad about it:

“No, it wasn’t a condition, but I think you know it was a source of aggravation to some of the outside casino places that had objections there,’’ Lamont said. “We’re trying to reach an accommodation where we can get sports betting and even iGaming going in the state – doing it in a way that doesn’t prompt a litigation war of sorts, and we’re trying to work that through.”

As of December 2020, Connecticut online sports betting is in a curious legal limbo. Betting in Connecticut has been technically legal since 2017. However, CT sports betting isn’t actually available, and you won’t find any Connecticut sportsbooks or betting sites yet.

If that all seems a bit counterintuitive, that’s because it is. The Professional & Amateur Sports Protection Act was repealed in 2018, kicking off a race to legalization among many US states. In contrast, changes to Connecticut sports betting laws began before that.

Legislators first modified the law in 2017, passing a comprehensive gambling bill. The purpose of the bill was to establish the CT sports betting industry ahead of future changes to federal law. The measures gave the state an ample head start before PASPA was repealed.

However, this headstart was insufficient to tackle the many competing agendas involved. While all parties seem interested in legalizing Connecticut sports betting apps and sites, each side has its own priorities. There’s been considerable friction from tribal casinos in the state as well.

Despite all of this, Connecticut betting sites are clearly on the horizon. A few legal details need to be worked out first, though.

Daily Fantasy Sports in Connecticut

Daily fantasy sports took the United States by storm in the past decade. Entering a largely unregulated market, early DFS operators quickly expanded throughout vast parts of the country. For most states, DFS fell into a gray area, failing to meet the definition of gambling.

That’s precisely the state of affairs that DFS operators preferred. Wherever state authorities ruled DFS to constitute gambling, DFS operators exited the market. This process was mirrored even in states with legal gambling, such as Nevada.

There are obvious advantages to working in an industry grey area, including the lack of licensing fees and special taxes. In Connecticut, things weren’t much different. There were some efforts to regulate DFS in the state, but they largely failed.

At the time, DFS was ruled not to constitute CT sports betting. However, authorities still sought to regulate DFS under its own framework, allocating funds in the 2017 budget to do so. State tribes quickly objected, considering the bill to violate the exclusivity of their gaming compacts.

To date, there have been no other attempts to regulate DFS in the state. Daily fantasy sports operators still offer their (unregulated) services in Connecticut. It’s unclear if future Connecticut sports betting apps legislation would also regulate DFS apps.

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Most Likely Connecticut Sportsbooks

At the moment, there are no Connecticut betting sites to speak of. However, given the legal situation explained above, Connecticut sportsbooks are likely to debut sooner rather than later. When and if that happens, the following would be the likeliest Connecticut sportsbooks.

DraftKings

DraftKings sportsbook is one of the companies that pioneered daily fantasy sports in the US. After PASPA was struck down, DraftKings evolved to meet the needs of the nascent sports betting market. As of late 2020, the company offers sports betting action across almost a dozen states.

The company would likely be among the first Connecticut sportsbooks to open up shop after regulation. DraftKings recently negotiated a market access partnership agreement with the Foxwoods Casino, giving it a firm foothold in the state.

FanDuel

FanDuel sportsbook is one of the best-known daily fantasy sports operators in America. Much like DraftKings, the company has rapidly grown within the sports betting sector since 2018. FanDuel now has a presence in over nine different states, with several planned expansions.

When legislators and stakeholders finally regulate Connecticut betting sites, FanDuel is ideally positioned to enter the state’s gambling market. Back in 2016, FanDuel entered a partnership agreement with one of the state’s tribal casinos, the Mohegan Sun.

BetMGM

MGM Resorts International is one of the United States’ largest and most recognizable gambling operators. The company’s online betting platform, BetMGM, is quite popular in several US states. It’s a more polished version of their previous PlayMGM app, which had lackluster results.

BetMGM sportsbook has learned all the right lessons from that prior attempt. When Connecticut sports betting apps are legalized, MGM Resorts is likely to try to enter the market. The most likely route for that would be a market access partnership with a local tribal casino.

FOX Bet

FOX Bet is one of the newest entries to the legal US sports betting sector. It’s the product of a partnership between broadcasting giant FOX Sports and PokerStars owner, The Stars Group. The platform is the first joint venture between a media company and a betting operator.

As a result of its joint nature, FOX Bet combines instant brand recognition with a polished software platform. It’s one of the fastest-growing sportsbooks in the nation. After Connecticut sportsbooks are regulated, FOX Bet will probably be among the first to jump into the market.

Connecticut Betting Laws

Like most other states in the Union, Connecticut sports betting was entirely illegal until recently. PASPA, first introduced in 1992 by George H. W. Bush, froze the state of sports betting legislation nationwide. No state could change their laws on the matter at all.

In Nevada and a few other grandfathered states, this meant sports betting remained legal. Elsewhere, it largely barred the mere notion of it. Things changed after New Jersey started pushing back against PASPA, in a bid to bring life to Atlantic City. Federal courts proved open to reconsidering the legality of PASPA itself.

It was in this environment that CT sports betting bills were first discussed. The state saw an opportunity to increase revenues through a booming new industry, and prepared. By 2017, Connecticut sports betting was legalized. At least in theory, anyway.

In practice, things proved somewhat more complicated than just passing a bill. CT sports betting was legalized by the bill, but the regulatory framework is still pending. What this means is that Connecticut betting sites and sportsbooks can’t launch just yet.

Many issues need to be figured out first, such as taxes and revenue sharing. Stakeholders in betting in Connecticut want their voices heard in the process, particularly the state’s existing tribal casinos.

States where you can already place an online sports bet today :

Updated on :

Colorado Illinois Indiana Iowa Michigan Nevada New Jersey Pennsylvania Tennessee Virginia West Virginia

Future of Connecticut Online Sports Betting

What the future might have in store for Connecticut sports betting apps is still anyone’s guess. However, things are looking bright. While no Connecticut betting sites or sportsbooks are live yet, the regulations are being negotiated and drafted.

Many competing interests and agendas are in play. On one hand, legislators likely wish to see maximized revenues towards the state’s coffers. As in other states, there may be some disagreements regarding the earmarking of gambling revenue for various purposes.

Then, there are many national gambling operators. Each seeks to secure its piece of the pie that the Connecticut sports betting apps sector will represent. Typical priorities for these potential Connecticut betting sites include easy market access and a fast licensing process.

Finally, you have the state tribes. As the sole providers of legal gambling action in CT, tribes are uniquely concerned about the new regulatory framework. Common priorities for tribes in these situations is to seek retail-only formats or, alternatively, revenue-sharing schemes.

It’s too soon to tell what the outcome will be in this three-way power struggle. One thing is near-certain, though: we’ll be seeing Connecticut sports betting apps sooner rather than later.

Connecticut Online Sports Betting: Events and Betting Markets

While Connecticut sports betting may not have taken off yet, sports in the state have a long history. There are many high-profile sports events taking place every year in CT with massive audiences. When CT sports betting finally debuts, the following events are likely to draw considerable interest from gamblers.

Travelers Championship

The Travelers Championship is a professional golf tournament, part of the PGA Tour. It takes place in Hartford every year since 1952. It consistently ranks among the top contenders for the PGA Players Choice Award, noting its remarkable services, attendance, and hospitality.

Golf is a wildly popular event within the gambling industry, and would probably attract many CT sports betting fans. When Connecticut sportsbooks open up shop, it’s sure to spark considerable betting action.