Online sports betting, casino gaming cleared for Tuesday launch

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Oct. 18—At 6 a.m. Tuesday, Connecticut will be fully open for online betting on sports and casino games.

Basically, anything you've been betting on at southeastern Connecticut's casinos you'll now be able to bet on from any device that accesses the internet, be it a desktop, a laptop or a mobile phone.

Gov. Ned Lamont gave the word Monday afternoon, announcing that the state Department of Consumer Protection had authorized the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes and the Connecticut Lottery Corp. to activate the sports-betting apps they've developed with their respective partners, DraftKings, FanDuel and Rush Street Interactive.

The tribes also are cleared to start online casino gaming, or iCasino, the governor said in a news release. The DCP has approved more than 130 games, including blackjack, roulette, video poker and a multitude of slots, for both the DraftKings and FanDuel apps.

"This is an exciting moment for our state and our tribal partners," Lamont said. "Connecticut has proven to be a leader when it comes to the gaming economy going back decades, and that legacy will continue with the launch of these new online options for all eligible residents. I am very proud to say that I placed the first legal, in-person sports wager in our state's history just two weeks ago, and I encourage those who want to participate in placing wagers to do so, responsibly."

The tribes launched temporary sportsbooks at their casinos, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, on Sept. 30. Both plan to open more elaborate sportsbooks in coming weeks.

The lottery has been authorized to provide sports betting at up to 15 retail locations and is expected to begin taking bets at several of them by the end of the month.

The governor's announcement came after a seven-day soft launch of online betting, during which the tribes, the lottery and their partners were each authorized to have 750 patrons open online accounts and begin wagering. With the full launch, the operators can sign up an unlimited number of users, who must be 21 years of age or older.

Betting on the apps must be done from within the borders of the state of Connecticut.

In an interview, Andrew Sneyd, FanDuel's senior vice president of brand marketing, said the Mohegan Sun/FanDuel app features such responsible-gaming protections as the ability for bettors to set limits on the amount of time they spend betting, the amount they deposit in their accounts and the amount of their wagers.

"We have a vigorous commitment to responsible gaming. We're here for the long term," Snyed said. "This is a great opportunity for us to connect with a great partner. We know Connecticut has a lot of avid sports fans."

He said FanDuel was pleased with the early performance of the Mohegan Sun FanDuel Sportsbook but couldn't divulge any data.

Earlier this year, FanDuel launched on online sports-betting app in Michigan in a collaboration with the Motor City Casino in Detroit. It had launched a sportsbook at the casino in 2020.

"It's a similar sort of scenario (to Connecticut), Sneyd said. "People love being able to bet online from anywhere, but they also love the excitement of being in a retail sportsbook, connecting with friends."

b.hallenbeck@theday.com