- Connecticut has received federal approval for its regulated sports betting industry .
- This greenlight from the DOI occurred a bit late - Sept. 9, the day the NFL season started.
- Connecticut will now try to get sports betting up and running by October.
HARTFORD, Conn. - Connecticut has received federal approval for its renegotiated gaming compacts between the state and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe as well as the Mohegan Tribe.
These renegotiated compacts allow for the tribes and the Connecticut Lottery to offer sports betting and online gaming.
In order for a launch to take place, the Bureau of Indian Affairs needed to sign off at the federal level with the DOI and now they have.
Connecticut: Competitive Gaming Experience
Governor Ned Lamont made the announcement on Twitter, and thanked the bureau for approving the revisions to the compact.
Lamont expressed excitement for the ability that Connecticut would now have in offering competitive gaming experiences in his twitter statement, saying:
“Today's announcement puts CT on the cusp of providing a modern, technologically advanced gaming experience competitive with our neighboring states.”
The timing of the approval was later than many in Connecticut hoped for - September 9 was, of course, the day the NFL season started.
Now, the government has to set up the platforms for sports betting and get it up as soon as possible in order to get a piece of NFL action while the season is still ongoing.
NFL Season Already Begun
Many states have set up their sports betting launch times to coincide with the NFL season, as it is the most popular betting sport in America.
Connecticut, it seems, will miss the mark by a month or so, with the government expecting a launch in mid-October.
Chairman Rodney Butler of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation praised the deal that has been made and promised swift action as far as a launch was concerned.
“We will continue to work with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection to make sports betting and iGaming available as soon as we are legally allowed to do so in Connecticut,” Butler said in a statement. “This is a day to celebrate.”
A launch date in the middle of October would still allow the state to capture much of the NFL season betting revenue, as well as college football betting revenue.
When it comes to this launch, sooner is better for the state’s coffers.