What to Know as Connecticut Prepares iGaming Launch
It was supposed to happen today. That’s not happening. However, Connecticut will launch its first state-regulated online gaming sites soon. The process is moving forward, despite a few hiccups.
In reality, everything has happened really quickly. While there were years of bills that didn’t make their way through the Connecticut legislature, this year’s bill did. Governor Ned Lamont only signed the bill in May 2021, and the regulatory process moved quickly under emergency rules. The goal was to push for the launch of sports betting before football season and online casinos around the same time.
Sports betting is now live. Online casino sites are a week or so behind schedule, but they appear to be prepared to launch before the end of October.
Online poker isn’t so lucky. No operators have approached the Mashantucket Pequots or Mohegans to sign an online poker agreement, so there are no poker sites in the works.
Expedited Emergency Process
After years of work by Connecticut lawmakers like State Senator Catherine Osten to legalize internet gaming, this year was the year to do it. By March 2021, all parties – a bipartisan group of lawmakers, the two tribes with gambling compacts, and Governor Lamont – had a bill. It moved through committees and then passed the House by 122-to-8 and the Senate by 28-to-6. Lamont received it and signed it on May 27, 2021.
Department of Consumer Protections Commissioner Michelle Seagull put together a set of emergency regulations to expedite the process of approving and implanting the new rules of the industry. Lamont approved that, too. The Legislation Regulation Review Committee then approved them.
From there, the document went to the United States Department of the Interior, as Secretary Deb Haaland had to approve the new compacts between the Mashantucket Pequots, Mohegans, and Governor Lamont. In September, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs did approve the compacts.
ICYMI: The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs approved the state’s new gaming agreements with the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes. See them here:https://t.co/6kYzSd6STq pic.twitter.com/4mJ0bRjSps
— CT Legis. Research (@CT_OLR) October 7, 2021
Lamont commented, “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. I thank the Bureau of Indian Affairs for approving these revisions, as well as the efforts of our partners with the Mohegan Tribe and Mashantucket Pequot Tribe. Today’s announcement puts Connecticut on the cusp of providing a modern, technologically advanced gaming experience that will be competitive with our neighboring states and positions us for success into the future.”
Public Act 21-23 authorized the state to issue licenses and regulate online casino gaming, fantasy sports contests, keno and online lottery tickets, and retail and online sports betting.
Retail Sports Betting a Go
Retail sports betting was the easiest part of the new major gaming verticals to implement, excluding the lottery and keno options. With so much potential, everyone focused on sports betting.
The Connecticut Lottery signed Rush Street Interactive as a partner for retail – and eventually online – sportsbooks. They agreed to use the PlaySugarHouse brand, and they began finalizing the 15 retail locations throughout the state for said sports wagering activities.
The Mashantucket Pequots had already partnered with DraftKings, and they began hiring for their new sportsbook at Foxwoods. And the Mohegans signed a deal with FanDuel to offer betting at Mohegan Sun. Both sportsbooks began accepting bets in person on September 30. They are said to be close to launching their corresponding online sports betting sites as well.
Not So Fast, Online Gambling Sites
Everything has been moving at a markedly fast pace. (Considering the years that it took Pennsylvania to launch its online casino and poker sites, Connecticut is moving at lightning speed.)
This week, however, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection’s Gaming Division pulled the reins to slow the roll of the online sites. Communications Director Kaitlyn Krasselt explained to Online Poker Report: “We are still working to finalize the details of the statewide online and retail launch of sports betting, and we are working with the licensees to ensure their platforms are certified and in compliance with the regulations prior to launch. As such, no date has been set, but we do not anticipate it to be a lengthy delay.”
Most analysts within the US igaming industry believe that the sites will launch before the end of October. The earlier the better, at least for football betting, but the launch dates appear to be completely at the mercy of the CT Department of Consumer Protections.
…their platforms are certified and in compliance with the regulations prior to launch."
No new date set. Sports betting has already started at the casinos.
(2 of 2)
— Dave Mager (@DaveMagerNews) October 6, 2021
Online Poker and Related Questions
The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection gave its Gaming Department its own website. It provides links to license information for businesses and provides quite a bit of information and data. The site also directs consumers to DraftKings, FanDuel, and Rush Street Interactive for questions about the online gambling operations.
Interestingly, there is a question on the site asking if it is legal to play poker for money in Connecticut. The answer?
“Currently, poker is illegal in CT unless conducted on a purely social basis, as long as no one other than the participants receives anything from the game.”
That’s not true. Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun both have the authority to offer live real-money poker in their casinos. In addition, the new law authorizes those two associated tribes and their online operational partners to offer online poker. Of course, neither the Mashantucket Pequots or Mohegans have signed online poker agreements with providers yet, but it is legal for them to do so.
By clicking on the “general info” button under that answer, it still doesn’t clarify that poker is offered on tribal lands. However, it does say that Public Act 21-23 does authorize online poker but “no operators are licensed” yet. But the following statement – “Online poker is not currently legal in Connecticut.” – is not really true.
Legal wording aside, there is no sign that any online poker operators have talked with the tribes about online poker offerings yet.
PokerStars could be the operator the tribe ultimately partners with to bring online poker to Connecticut, a tribal company executive told pokerfuse.https://t.co/NguSo6Etaq
— pokerfuse (@pokerfuse) July 24, 2021
