Connecticut

Gambling has been a major factor in Connecticut for quite a while, but it wasn’t until 2021 that the state legalized retail and online sports betting, and the brand-name sports betting operators made their appearance in the Constitution State.

For the most part, Connecticut bettors have free reign on what they can bet on, but one stipulation is that they cannot wager on in-state colleges such as UConn unless they are playing in a tournament, e.g., March Madness. This restriction is fairly common across some states that have legalized sports betting.

Outside of pro and collegiate sports (excluding local schools), bettors in the state also have the option to bet on horse racing or partake in daily fantasy sports on prominent apps like Underdog Fantasy. All DFS apps in the state are required to give a 30-minute pop-up for responsible gaming purposes. After this pop-up, users must log out and go through two-factor authentication again.

Betting on e-sports is also allowed except when involving a Connecticut college team and if the event is not part of an intercollegiate tournament.

Online sports betting in The Constitution State

Like plenty of other states around the U.S., Connecticut needed to negotiate with the local tribes to get sports betting fully legalized. Since gambling was such a big part of the state, to begin with, the biggest issue over the years was negotiating a deal that worked for the local tribes. Under HB 6451, the tribes agreed to legalize sports betting as long as they got to partner with two of the three online sportsbooks that would be allowed to operate in the state.

Prior to the deal in 2021, the state had two sports betting bills (HB 5158 and SB 21) fall apart during legislative hearings in 2020.

Once the bill was passed and agreed upon, the Mohegan Tribe partnered with FanDuel, and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation came to an agreement with DraftKings. The last online skin allowed in the state was originally SugarHouse, which partnered with the state lottery, but they are no longer operating in CT; instead, the Fanatics Sportsbook is the third and final mobile book allowed to operate.

Of course, with how big betting is in Connecticut, plenty of sportsbooks made the push to secure that final online license through a partnership with the state’s lottery, as 15 applied for that final spot. While the names of those sportsbooks were not released, one can assume the likes of BetMGM, Caesars, and Bet365 made a push.

It will be quite some time before these sportsbooks have a chance to join the CT market unless something similar to the SugarHouse situation occurs. Licenses in CT last ten years, so for the foreseeable future DK, FD, and Fanatics will be providing residents with their mobile betting needs.

All legal CT sports betting apps in 2024 (from newest to oldest):

Sports betting & gambling legislation in CT

Once the state and tribes reached an agreement, sports betting launched in retail form on September 30th, 2021, and mobile betting fully launched on October 19th of the same year. In order to place a proper legal wager either in person or online in CT, bettors must be at least 21 years of age. Each bettor inside the state is subject to a 6.99% tax on all winnings.

While bettors do not need to be physically present in a casino to create a mobile betting account in the state, they must be located within the state’s borders. All bets on those accounts also must be made inside CT lines. The regulating body that oversees and enforces these rules and regulations is the Connecticut State Department of Consumer Protection.

Aside from sports betting, there are plenty of other gambling options in CT, including online casinos, online poker, and a state lottery system. Connecticut was actually the sixth state to legalize online gambling, and currently, they offer residents two interactive casino platforms, both of which offer over 100 different games.

Most recent updates from the CT sports betting scene

• May 14, 2024: The 2024 WNBA season has arrived, and the Connecticut Sun will open their new campaign against Catilin Clark and the Indiana Fever. The Sun currently has the 4th best odds to win the title at (+1200).

• April 15, 2024: Two UConn Huskies women's basketball stars, Aaliyah Edwards and Nika Muhl, have been drafted into the WNBA. Edwards was drafted by the Washington Mystics and is currently (+3500) to win Rookie of the Year.

• April 8, 2024: The UConn Huskies men's basketball team has won the National Championship for the second consecutive season. They are currently (+1100) to win the 2024-25 Title.

• December 13, 2023: Fanatics Sportsbook initiates a soft launch in Connecticut, mirroring its Colorado launch. Initially, it's accepting 2,000 online players in the state. A full-scale launch in Connecticut is slated for December 18th as the company gauges the local market.

• December 1, 2023: The Connecticut Lottery Corporation selects Fanatics Betting and Gaming (FBG) as its exclusive sports betting partner. FBG's Fanatics Sportsbook will provide mobile and retail sports betting across ten locations in Connecticut.

• November 21, 2023: Connecticut sees a surge in online gaming and sports betting activity in October 2023, with a record $189.6 million in wagers reported by sports betting operators. This marked a 15.5% increase compared to the previous year. The majority of these wagers (93.7%) were placed through online sportsbooks, while the rest came from retail locations.

In-person sports betting sites and locations

Since gambling has been legal for quite some time in CT, a lot of casinos were already very popular and functional by the time sports betting rolled around, so getting a retail sportsbook for them was only an added bonus.

Outside of tribal casinos that have partnered with DraftKings or FanDuel, the state’s lottery can run up to 15 retail sportsbooks, but as of right now, they only have eight in service. Under the sports betting bill, the lottery can also have Sportech run some of these retail books since they are the state’s official off-track provider.

Sports betting in neighboring states

Sports betting in the Northeast is certainly not limited to Connecticut. Bettors who travel the area will also find sports betting in New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

By clicking on the states in the box below, you can find more information on the rules and guidelines for sports betting in the surrounding states.

Sports betting revenue impact on Connecticut's economy

Connecticut's decision to legalize sports betting has been profitable. They have averaged close to $125 million a month in handle, and tax coffers are seeing nearly $1.5 million a month in tax income from sports betting alone. Of course, it does help that the state’s gambling bill allows for an expansive market as long as operators can obtain a license.

Regarding licenses, only three were handed out for online skins as long as they partnered with a tribe or the lottery. There are currently 12 retail betting sites in the state, with up to 15 allowed under the sports betting bill. Each license in the state is good for ten years. While tribal operators don’t have a license fee, each online operator pays a $250,000 fee to obtain their license.

Sports betting revenue these operators make is taxed at 13.75% for retail and online, which is slightly above average compared to other states with legalized sports betting. Top 3 sportsbooks in the state in February 2024:

1. FanDuel (Handle: $79.6m, Revenue: $6.4m)

2. DraftKings (Handle: $63.4m, Revenue: $4.8m)

3. Fanatics Sportsbook (Handle: $12.4m, Revenue: $1m)

Connecticut sports betting record months:

• Sports betting handle: December 2023 ($212,171,045)

• Revenue: January 2024 ($25,570,170)

• Tax income: January 2024 ($2,864,562)

CT sports betting revenue in 2024