Connecticut launches sports betting – DraftKings teams with Foxwoods Casino
In May this year, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has signed into law the legalization of sports betting and online gambling. This made Connecticut part of the over 20 states in the US that now allow the local operations of sports betting since the Supreme Court of the United States have stricken down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992 in 2018.
Since May, people have been waiting for sports betting to go live in the state, and now, they don’t have to do so any longer. This week, the Department of Consumer Protection has finally approved the state licenses that Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun need to be able to offer sports betting on the trial reservations.
DraftKings, on the following day, announced that its sports betting partnership with Foxwoods would begin on Thursday, September 30. This will be a temporary sportsbook where people could place their bets on baseball odds and any other sports in person as the Connecticut Lottery Corporation said that both retail and online betting will start in the first week of October.
Sports Betting Opens Thursday
Rodney Butler of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Chairman talked about the opening in a release and said, “Today we celebrate a new era for our Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, sports fans, Foxwoods guests, and Connecticut residents. We thank Governor Lamont and his administration, regulators, and the many lawmakers who helped pave the way for legal sports betting and expanded gaming in the state.
"Their collaboration and hard work have allowed trusted gaming operators like our Tribe and DraftKings to help lead innovation across Connecticut. With NFL season in full force, it's game on, and we look forward to a successful launch."
The announcement from DraftKings regarding their partnership with Foxwoods also came with a statement. On the statement, the co-founder and president of DraftKings North America said, “We’re thrilled to join the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation in bringing a holistic and delightful sports betting experience for customers in Connecticut. By leveraging the Tribe’s expertise in developing and operating one of the largest resort casinos in the world, we are excited to bring new offerings for consumers in The Constitution State.”
Foxwoods also said that they are expecting to launch statewide, off-reservation online sports betting, and iGaming in October. They are just waiting for regulatory approvals and the spokesperson of DCP, Kaitlyn Krasselt said that the DCP is still waiting on some documents before all other necessary licenses can be finalized.
Only the master gaming licenses and other licenses for on-reservation sports betting were only approved on Tuesday. The approval came just a day after the US Department of Interior has published the approval of an amended agreement between the state and the two tribes that allow legal sports wagering, online gambling, and other forms of betting.
More About Connecticut’s Sports Betting
And so, Foxwoods going live last Thursday is just the first step of launching sports betting and online gambling in the state. Governor Lamont is expected to be present at both casinos on Thursday. Lamont is looking forward to having these activities regulated in the state.
When the US Bureau of Indian Affairs approved the state’s revised gaming compacts with the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot Tribes last month, Lamont said, “This critical step in the process of modernizing our gaming landscape here in Connecticut ensures that our state will have a competitive, nation-leading marketplace for wagering both in-person and online.”
While the legislation of gambling in the state can be deemed as progressive, it’s undeniable that this also comes with a lot of risks. Diana Goode who is the executive director of the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling was initially frustrated about the refusal of DCP to mandate self-exclusion that includes in-person gambling. She and the rest of the council hoped that it will be part of the self-exclusion list and the state eventually addressed this.
Just a few days before the launch, the state announced a self-exclusion tool that the locals can use to voluntarily exclude themselves from any gambling activities, both online and in-person within the state. This can be useful to people who’d like to avoid gambling-related problems.
The self-exclusion tool allows a person to bar themselves from gambling activities for a year, five years, or a lifetime. Regarding this, a family member or any other third-party personnel will not be allowed to have someone else placed on the list. However, people can use an authorization feature on sites like FanDuel to allow gamblers to use a joint credit card with someone else.