Sports betting in Connecticut has attracted the interest of players throughout the state, and operators took over $50 million in bets during its first 20 days.
Connecticut’s regulated online sports wagering market rolled out in a soft launch to players on 12th October, before it went live fully a week later.
How did Connecticut do in its early days of sports betting?
Players wagered a total of $54.1 million during the first 20 days of sports betting in the Constitution State. Of this, the state’s sportsbooks kept $3.5 million in profits — once they had paid taxes, winnings, and whatnot.
At the moment, three sports betting operators have gone live in Connecticut. Finishing top of the list in revenue was the Mashantucket Pequot tribe, which offers the vertical in collaboration with US iGaming giant DraftKings. It generated $2.7 million in revenue, with players betting $23.8 million.
In second place was the Mohegan tribe, which has a partnership with FanDuel — one of DraftKings’ largest competitors in the country. The tribe generated $609,520, with players wagering $27.1 million.
Behind the top two was the Connecticut Lottery Corporation, which has partnered with Rush Street Interactive to offer sports betting in the state. It earned $212,705, and players wagered significantly less than at the two tribes; just $541,856.
Sports betting in Connecticut
Connecticut launched regulated online sports betting and online casino gaming in October 2021 after the soft launch for both was successful.
When the two gaming verticals launched in the state, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said: “This is an exciting moment for our state and our tribal partners. 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.”
Players in the Nutmeg State have to be at least 21 years old to gamble.
Sports betting’s growth in the US in 2021
While 2021 has been an uncertain year for the US in general, more states have launched sports betting — or are on their way to do so. Maryland and Nebraska both signed sports betting legislation into law this year and are working on launching their markets.
Arguably the biggest story of the year was that New York is working on expanding its regulated sports wagering market to online operators. However, this will likely come with high tax rates and a cap on the number of sportsbooks allowed in the market.
Louisiana also launched its sports betting market last year after residents in most parishes voted in favour of legal sports wagering in a referendum last November. In total, 30 states — plus Washington DC — have regulated the vertical in some form.