Connecticut Sports Gambling
Gamblers in Connecticut may soon be able to jump on the internet and play legal and regulated online poker and casino games. They may even be able to bet on sports.
Particularly if the Native American Tribes behind the state’s two brick and mortar casino resorts have any say.
At a March 15 Connecticut Public Safety and Security Committee hearing, Connecticut’s two gaming tribes, the Mohegan Tribe and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, both came out in favor of legalizing online gambling and sports betting inside the state.
Can You Bet On Sports In Ct
In fact, written testimony submitted by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation run Foxwoods Resort Casino and executive director of online gaming Seth Young went even further. Not only did it support online gambling and sports betting, it said online gambling represented a major opportunity for the state:
“As we see it, the strongest opportunity for the state is in legalizing statewide iGaming, another activity that is currently operating for Connecticut residents in the black market today.”
A site dedicated to the news and expansion of gambling across Massachusetts. Thanks to a Supreme Court decision on Monday, states can now decide on their own if they want to offer gambling within their borders. The Mohegan Tribe agreed to let the Connecticut Lottery run sports betting operations in other parts of the state, paving the way for a deal to be made. The deal will tax new online gambling.
The Mohegan Tribe, owner and operator of the Mohegan Sun casino and resort, echoed those same sentiments in written testimony submitted to the committee by Avi Alroy, Mohegan Sun’s VP of interactive gaming:
“To clarify, I believe that the state of Connecticut will benefit from both online casino gaming and sport wagering as it will reduce unregulated bets that are done locally and off-shore, and increase state revenues.”
Mohegan Sun already owns and operates a legal and regulated online casino in the New Jersey market. It runs under the Resorts Casino Hotel internet gambling license. The Atlantic City casino is managed by the Mohegan Tribe and Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment.
Connecticut online gambling revenue projections
Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun also submitted online gambling revenue projections for the state.
Both believe Connecticut will generate as much as $87 million in tax revenue over the first five years with legal and regulated online gambling.
The estimates are based on generating $14.25 million in tax revenue in the first year. Then,growing that to as much as $20 million by year five.
New Jersey online gambling sites generated a record $245.6 million in gross gaming revenue in 2017. That represented a close to 25 percent increase from the previous record of $196.7 million set one year earlier.
New Jersey has had legal and regulated online gambling since November 2013. Gross online gambling revenue reached $122.9 in 2014, the industry’s first full year of existence. It has gone up more than 20 percent every year since.
New Jersey online gambling generated more than $40 million in tax revenue in 2017. The state has pulled in more than $130 million in tax revenue from online gambling since it launched.
New Jersey’s population is almost three times the size of Connecticut’s.
No online gambling bill yet
Connecticut’s Public Safety and Security Committee hearing amounts to little more than a discussion about online gambling and its possibilities. No bill seeking to legalize online gambling has been put forward in the legislature so far this year.
In addition to discussing online gambling, Connecticut lawmakers are currently thinking about legalizing sports betting. But only if the Supreme Court of the United States overturns the current federal ban on sports betting.
Additionally, lawmakers are considering a bill that would legalize online lottery sales.
The Foxwoods Resort Casino hotel and casino complex sits on the Mashantucket Pequot Indian Reservation, within Ledyard, Connecticut. The casino on the property hosts 5,500 slot machines and over 300 table games. Plus it is home to the largest poker room on the East Coast.
The Mohegan Sun 34-story casino, hotel and entertainment complex is in Uncasville, Connecticut. Its three casinos feature nearly 5,000 slot machines, 300 table games, and a 42-table state-of-the-art poker room.
When people think of Connecticut gambling, it’s likely they think of the massive casinos in the state that are among the world’s largest. Despite these great gambling options, there is still no legal sports betting in Connecticut, though lawmakers and the state’s tribes are working hard to make this happen.
So instead of providing a guide to Connecticut sports betting , we’ve dedicated this page to discuss the current laws around sports betting and when the laws may change. We have also given a rundown on other betting options available in the state, so you can be sure that you’re choosing the best legal and licensed games.
What Betting Options are Legal for Connecticut Residents
Connecticut Sports Gambling
Contents
- What Betting Options are Legal for Connecticut Residents
- Frequently Asked Questions
There may be no Connecticut legal online sportsbook to place bets in the state yet, but visitors or residents still have plenty of great gaming options to choose from. These include casino table games such as poker and blackjack, horse race betting, daily fantasy sports, and the popular state lottery.
Is Daily Fantasy Legal in Connecticut?
One of the few kinds of legal Connecticut online gambling is daily fantasy sports (DFS) betting. DFS is a type of online game that requires participants to draft a fantasy lineup of players from most major sports leagues. Players score points based on the real-life performance of players, and the highest scorer wins the prize pool at the end of the round
Unlike states where DFS is simply tolerated, the Connecticut government officially legalized DFS in 2017. Currently, reputable sports betting sites like FanDuel and DraftKings operate in the state. These companies also operate sportsbooks, but this won’t be available in the state until a Connecticut legal online sportsbook is legalized.
Are there Legal Offshore Sites for Connecticut Players
In some states without legal sports betting, locals can access offshore betting sites like Bovada, MyBookie, or BetOnline to place bets without technically breaking the law. This is not the case in CT, though, as the law explicitly forbids making illegal offshore bets.
There’s a number of reasons to ban these offshore websites. Firstly, these websites are unlicensed and unregulated by the state, meaning that they earn no tax revenues from bets. Also, without regulations, there’s no guarantee that the bookmakers are providing a trustworthy and safe product. We only ever recommend players bet at licensed casinos.
Casinos
Until there is legal online sports betting in Connecticut, players are able to gamble freely at two of the state’s world-famous land-based casinos. These hugely popular casinos are operated by tribal groups in the state and include the Mohegan Sun and the Foxwoods Resort and Casino.
Whether it’s poker, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, or slot machines, you can enjoy a wide array of classic casino games. The Foxwoods Casino even includes a PLAY Arena, a state-of-the-art, immersive gaming floor that provides a relaxed gaming experience without sacrificing the fun.
Racetrack Betting
There are no horse racing tracks in Connecticut, though there are some greyhound tracks. Not only are you able to place bets at these tracks, but you can also place off-track bets on live greyhound and horse races around the country. As well as being able to wager at the state’s casinos, players are allowed to place bets online. This is perhaps the closest thing to legal online sports betting in Connecticut.
Card Rooms
Connecticut only has two poker rooms, but don’t let that number fool you. One of the rooms is located at the Foxwoods Casino, and holds around 150 tables. This has made it the perfect location for huge poker tournaments that draw in thousands of players every week.
The other card room is located at the Mohegan Sun. This is much smaller in comparison, though it still offers an impressive 42 poker tables. For the most part, players in Connecticut tend to prefer No Limit Texas Hold’em, but the diversity of the poker scene means that many poker options can be found.
Nearby States with Legal Sports Betting
If you live in Connecticut and want to place a legal sports bet, your only option is to travel to a state that allows this. Fortunately, three of Connecticut’s neighbor states offer legal sports betting. This includes New Jersey, which may be the best option as it allows for mobile sports betting.
Below, we’ve listed the closest states with legal sports betting. Be sure to take a look at the guides to know the best online betting sites in the state.
- Rhode Island
- New Jersey
- Delaware
What would Legal Sports Betting in Connecticut Look Like
Sports betting legalization will be extremely beneficial for both the state’s revenues, gaming operators, and players. As soon as Connecticut sports betting is legalized, Connecticut players can expect to be able to gamble on all major sports leagues and even smaller unknown sports from around the world.
A bill introduced in 2019 seeks to legalize sports betting, and would see it be run by the Connecticut Lottery and Sportech. The bill would not permit a Connecticut legal online sportsbook but would instead require that all bets must be made in-person at tribal casinos.
It is especially beneficial for players as legal sports betting provides the best and most fair betting experience for players. This is because every facet of bookmakers’ operations must meet the high standards of regulators. This will mean ensuring vulnerable players are protected and payouts are fair.
What are the Connecticut Gambling Laws
According to Connecticut gambling laws, gambling is defined as risking something of value for gain that is based on chance. The laws are very clear on a number of matters, including the banning of all forms of table games unless they are held at the state’s two tribal casinos.
The laws also forbid all forms of internet gambling, including even the purchase of raffle tickets. This, however, does not include DFS and horse racing. For this reason, it seems as though online sports betting will be unlikely in the event that sports betting is ever legalized.
The state holds compacts with two tribes, the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot, that allows them to offer illegal gambling under certain pretenses. An agreement to the compact requires the tribes to pay the state 25 percent of their gross slot machine revenues, in turn generating millions every year for the state.
| Betting Type | Law |
|---|---|
| Sports Betting | Not Legal |
| Online Sports Betting | Not Legal |
| Online Casino | Not Legal |
| Poker | Legal |
| Racetrack Betting | Legal |
| Connecticut Gambling Age | 18+ for Lotto, Racing & DFS, 21+ for Casino |
Players must be over 18 years old if they want to buy a lottery ticket, bet on racing at an off-track vendor or sign up to DFS. If they wish to bet a casino, they must be over 21 years of age. As the only poker rooms in the state are allowed at tribal grounds, poker is limited to players 21 years or over.
What is the Future of Sports Betting in Connecticut?
For the sake of Connecticut’s gamblers, we hope that CT will soon become a legal sport betting state. As three of its neighbor states are offering great sports betting products, it’s likely that millions are being lost every year to outside markets. However, there are a few issues holding the bill up.
A part of Connecticut’s agreement with the tribes is that they must sign off on any new gambling expansion law. The Connecticut governor has recently suggested that he doesn’t want the tribes to have exclusive rights to gaming, while the tribes disagree with this. For the time being, progress on the bill is at a standstill, and for now, players will need to travel out of state to bet on sports legally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you still have questions about how legal online sports betting CT and other forms of gambling work in Connecticut? Keep reading to discover the answers to some frequently asked questions about the Connecticut sports betting market.
Is online gambling and sports betting legal in Connecticut?
Connecticut law states that sports betting and online gambling is illegal. However, there are a couple of exceptions to the rule. Players are allowed to be on DFS online, while horse and greyhound racing can also be bet on online.
What is the Connecticut legal gambling age?
The minimum gambling age in Connecticut is 18 years old for the lottery, horse race betting and DFS. If players want to bet at casinos, they must be over the age of 21 as alcohol is served.
Are offshore bookmaker sites legal and safe?
We would never recommend that our readers use offshore bookmakers to place their bets. This is because they are unlicensed in the jurisdictions that are offered. For this reason, if problems ever arise, customers have no protection from scams or legal ground to challenge the site.
Can I use the FanDuel or DraftKings app in Connecticut?
Players can use both the FanDuel or DraftKings app in Connecticut, though only to place bets on daily fantasy sports. Although both apps offer great sportsbooks, the banning of online gambling in the state means that ever having either as a legal Connecticut sports betting app is unlikely.