From sports betting to gambling on your phone, here are the details of Connecticut’s new online gambling agreement
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There’s a deal between the Lamont administration and the Mohegan Tribe that would dramatically expand gambling in Connecticut, from sports wagering to gambling on your cell phone, from poker to the lottery.
The agreement, which will require General Assembly approval of changes to the state’s gambling compact with the tribes, still lacks a critical partner, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe. The Mohegans and the Pequots operate gambling casinos on their federally-recognized reservations and the arrangement announced Tuesday would be the most significant expansion of gambling here since the 1990s.
The Connecticut Lottery would also operate sports betting and online gambling, competing with the tribes.
A lot more gambling
If approved, the tribes and the Connecticut Lottery would operate online sports betting and gambling websites. There would be sports betting locations similar to OTB parlors and larger sports wagering venues in Hartford and Bridgeport operated by the Connecticut Lottery. The lottery would also run its own sports betting brand or “skin.”
As close as your phone
Legal sports wagering, lottery gambling and other games would be available on cell phones. This includes poker, lottery games and sports such as baseball, football and basketball games.
Where are the Mashantucket Pequots?
After months of negotiations between the state and the two tribes, an agreement was announced with only the Mohegans. It is expected that the Mashantucket Pequots will still sign on to the deal. The Pequots have been unwilling to agree to a 20% tax on internet gambling.
When will this happen?
It’s possible online gambling could begin before the end of the year, but it likely won’t begin before early 2022. Court challenges by rival gaming companies could also slow things.
Big money
The deal could eventually generate as much as $200 million annually for the state as well as hundreds of millions for the tribes. There would be a 20% tax on online gaming and a 13.75% tax on sports wagering. Lamont expects about $50 million for the state from online gambling by 2022.
The Connecticut Lottery would operate 15 sports betting locations similar to OTB parlors along with large facilities in Hartford and Bridgeport.
Why the big rush?
States across the country, including Connecticut’s neighbors, have all embraced or are seriously considering online gambling.
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“Our neighboring states are moving forward with sports betting and i-gaming, and Connecticut should not leave these opportunities for other states to benefit from our inaction,” Lamont has said.
What’s next?
To proceed, the General Assembly must also vote to approve changes to the agreement that allows gambling on the tribal reservations. The U.S. Department of Interior must review revised regulations, which could take 60 to 90 days, and the state Department of Consumer Protection would need to rewrite regulations.
