CONNECTICUT, USA — Connecticut opened the door to a full launch of online sports betting and iCasino starting Tuesday morning at 6 a.m.
The Connecticut Lottery Corporation, the Mohegan Tribe, and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe are now offering online wagering to all adults of legal betting age, which is 21 in our state. The Connecticut Lottery Corporation is working with Rush Street Interactive, allowing customers to use their services through the app, SugarHouse. Mohegan is partnering with FanDuel, and Foxwoods is working with DraftKings. All are apps that anyone of age can download and use, as long as they are within the state of Connecticut. Visitors can do the same, as long as they don't cross state lines. There is geotracking on the apps that would stop them from placing a bet.
A spokesperson for the state said both tribes may also offer iCasino, with more than 130 games approved by the Department of Consumer Protection for the FanDuel and DraftKings apps.
As soon as the window opened Tuesday morning, someone already placed a bet on DraftKings.
"The first bet was actually placed on the National League Championship Series, that the Dodgers will try to come back in the series against the Braves, good luck to them, to all my Dodgers fans that are out there," said Rodney Butler, a Chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation.
Since that time, Chairman Butler said thousands of other bets have been made on their platform alone.
This full fledged launch comes on the heels of a seven-day soft launch last week. Those with DraftKings and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe say that went smoothly.
"We really collected that kind of proof that the product was ready over the seven days and we used that to demonstrate the readiness to demonstrate the statewide launch," said DraftKings President, Matt Kalish.
Kalish and Butler made themselves available in a Zoom press conference on Tuesday morning. In that availability, FOX61 asked about some complaints from people on social media, who are reporting they're having trouble verifying their accounts.
Kalish responded saying, “In the cases where people, through our automated process can’t fully get through the KYC (Know Your Customer), then we have a manual team that will go through and kind of help verify accounts.”
They’re also monitoring accounts, flagging certain people who may spend too much or show signs of addictive behavior. The Department of Consumer Protection made sure those policies were in place to limit potential negative impacts. They created a self exclusion list for those who feel they could be at risk of falling victim to addictive behaviors. Those individuals will not be subjected to direct marketing for online gambling.
Sept. 30 had marked the first day of the state’s long-awaited rollout of legalized sports and internet wagering when Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods held events to mark the grand opening of temporary sports betting venues.
The original launch was supposed to take place on Oct. 7 but officials said there were some bumps in the road when it came to licensing for outside vendors.
State officials then approved a seven-day “soft launch” that began on Oct. 11.
“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," Lamont said. "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."
Information about gaming in Connecticut is available at ct.gov/gaming.
Information on services available in Connecticut for those who may have a problem with gambling is available at portal.ct.gov/problemgaming.
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