Legal Connecticut sports betting could begin next week now that the federal government finally recognizes one of its updated compacts.
The Federal Register published the updated compact between Connecticut and the Mohegan Indians Wednesday morning. There is still no date for when the Mashantucket Pequot‘s approved compact might be published.
The compacts were approved last week with regulations given the green light a week earlier.
Anyone waiting for Connecticut sportsbook apps should not get their hopes up just yet, though. While retail betting seems to be in good shape for an NFL Week 3 launch, the state’s three online sportsbooks will not go live until October.
CT sports betting at both casinos first
There are three operators waiting to launch sports betting in Connecticut, but two will get a head start.
The Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Indians will launch retail betting at their respective Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos first, Gov. Ned Lamont said earlier this week. Lamont suggested sports betting could launch “any day now” but that was before the compacts were published.
It’ll take about a week for any necessary approvals and additional work before the casinos could take bets, a spokesperson told LSR.
Neither casino responded with their launch plans when reached by LSR.
Up to 15 other retail sportsbooks to come
The Connecticut Lottery is the third piece of the three-headed market and will have the largest retail footprint of the three.
The Lottery, partnered with Rush Street Interactive, can open up to 15 retail sportsbooks. Ten of those locations will be at existing locations owned and operated by Sportech.
But bettors in Connecticut and nearby are likely more excited for the online launch of DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook and (for now) SugarHouse. Those three launches will happen simultaneously sometime next month.
No doubt bettors in both New York and Massachusetts will be ready to hit the road once they’re live. There seems to be no urgency to launch sports betting in Massachusetts from the Senate — although the governor there has pressed for action — while online NY sportsbooks might not launch until closer to the Super Bowl.
Operators in Connecticut will not be waiting for those bettors, though. Mohegan Digital CEO Rich Roberts told LSR he expects a “good amount” of out-of-state marketing.
