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State, tribes agree to modernize Connecticut betting with sports wagering and online gaming

The state of Connecticut and the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes have reached an agreement to modernize betting with sports wagering and online gaming.

News 12 Staff

Mar 18, 2021, 11:05 PM

Updated 1,373 days ago

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Online wagering and sports betting could finally be legal in Connecticut as early as this fall.
Connecticut's two tribal casinos agreed to a 10-year deal on Thursday.
For sports wagers, the state gets an almost 14% cut. For online games, it's 18% at first, then 20%.
The Connecticut Lottery could also offer sports betting at 15 locations across the state. That includes off-track betting sites, such as Bobby V's in Stamford. But they’re cut out of the lucrative online market.
Bobby V's owner says, "Connecticut consumers will be deprived of a healthy competitive betting marketplace and the Connecticut jobs that Sportech supports will be at risk."
Gov. Ned Lamont called it a “good agreement,” but it still needs approval from state lawmakers and federal regulators.
“It's something that all of…our neighboring states are doing. And Connecticut is going to play. I think it's a way to bring our cities and towns back to life,” says Lamont.
One of those cities is Bridgeport, which would gain a new sports betting venue – another draw for the Park City.
But one community is losing out. The deal stops development of a new casino in East Windsor, near Hartford. Both tribes have spent $20 million planning the site, but the Mashantucket Pequot tribal chairman says Gov. Lamont insisted on the provision over “legal concerns.”
East Windsor lawmakers expressed disappointment.
“This agreement has positive factors for Connecticut, but it's nothing but bad news for East Windsor," said state Sen. Saud Anwar. "Two years after the East Windsor casino first received approval to move forward, for it to be abandoned is incredibly disappointing.”
Lamont projects the state could take in $47 million from the deal in the first year alone.