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The Connecticut Lottery has chosen its official sports betting partner. Sugarhouse will provide an online sports betting platform in the state in partnership with the Lottery. This rounds out the Connecticut sports betting operator slate to its full roster of three. FanDuel is partnered with Mohegan Sun and DraftKings is partnered with Foxwoods Resort Casino. Though no percentages were given, representatives for the Connecticut Lottery and BetRivers indicated that the Lottery would receive the majority of the revenue from the sports betting partnership.
The 10-year agreement includes $170 million in guaranteed minimum revenue share for the CLC from online and retail sports betting; The CLC will also team up with Connecticut-based Sportech to offer sports betting at 10 of the 15 retail sports betting locations authorized statewide.
Draftkings, FanDuel, and Sugarhouse CT make an impressive trifecta–three of the industry’s biggest operators all duking it out for players. This could mean Connecticut sports bettors will have some excellent promos and competitive odds.
Connecticut Sports Betting Targeted Launch Date
Connecticut is targeting September 6, 2021 for its sports betting launch. That timeline is tentative, though it’s looking likely the state will launch close to that target.
“We’re confident we’ll be taking bets early in the 2021/22 NFL season,” said a Connecticut Lottery rep during the announcement press conference.
Great news for sports bettors who are fans of the NFL–the season kicks off just a few days later on September 9th. The Dallas Cowboys face off against defending Super Bowl champs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Story So Far
Compared to other legal states, Connecticut sports betting legislation moved relatively fast. In March, Governor Ned Lamont announced an agreement between the state and tribal casino owners, authorizing up to 17 retail sportsbooks and 3 online sportsbook operators. A few months later, on May 25, Connecticut’s sports betting and online gambling bill passed by a vote of 122-21. Two days later, Governor Lamont signed the bill. That kickstarted the regulatory process.
In July, the Connecticut Lottery announced it was in the midst of negotiations with BetRivers, though the organization had yet to announce who that partner was. Today’s news of the selection marks a significant milestone for Connecticut sports betting. You could consider this the final hurdle before the state is ready for a true launch.
With launch imminent, Connecticut sports betting operators will soon begin to offer pre-launch bonuses. Stay tuned to Gaming Today for more as September approaches.
