Fanatics Sportsbook secured a Connecticut sports betting license, the operator announced Friday via a news release.
The partnership will be through the Connecticut Lottery Corporation, allowing Fanatics Sportsbook to operate in both the online and in-person markets.
The Connecticut Lottery previously partnered with Rush Street Interactive on a 10-year deal. But the operator elected to exit in March, less than two years into the pact to offer the state’s third license, which is dedicated to the lottery.
Fanatics said the expected transition date is mid-December.
Fanatics Sportsbook makes CT trio
Connecticut has three sports betting licenses.
FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook also operate in the state via tribal partnerships with Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods, respectively.
“We are excited to be working with the CLC to bring the Fanatics Sportsbook to customers in Connecticut,” said Fanatics chief business officer Ari Borod.
“We are looking forward to bringing the Fanatics experience to the ten retail locations throughout Connecticut and more importantly, adding our innovative mobile app to the online choices available in Connecticut.”
ESPN Bet misses access at home
ESPN Bet hoped to enter the market, given that its namesake is headquartered in Bristol, Conn.
“We obviously would like to be in Connecticut,” Penn Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden said when PENN announced its $2 billion deal with Disney. “So we’ll see when that decision is made, and if we’re fortunate enough to be a new operator in Connecticut.”
Proposals were due by May 19, though. Snowden noted at the recent ESPN Edge Conference that initial conversations between Disney and Penn started “just months” before the deal was announced.
Fanatics Sportsbook migration status
Fanatics is currently migrating from PointsBet Sportsbook, A Fanatics Experience, in several states.
The changeover is already complete in Virginia and West Virginia.
It will occur in Colorado on Dec. 4, according to a customer email.
