Connecticut Moves Closer to Instituting Online Sports and Casino Gambling

In what state experts are calling a historic agreement, three major players in the Connecticut gambling community have agreed to terms that would bring all forms of online gambling to the state's residents.

The participants in this agreement were the Connecticut Lottery, plus the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes. Under the terms of the agreement, all three groups would have equal participation rights to offer online gambling services to state residents. It is important to note that the general structure of the agreement has been approved by the leadership of all three groups. It is now up to the state legislature to develop the details and come up with the appropriate fee and tax-related structures.

If the legislature can get things done quickly, it is possible Connecticut residents will be able to wager on sports by the start of the 2021 NFL season, which starts in September. Experts believe the worst-case scenario has the signing of a bill by Gov. Ned Lamont taking place no later than the end of the year.

If everything goes smoothly, the state would beat other New England states like Massachusetts and New York to the punch in the race for modern forms of gambling revenue in the New England area. That is a major accomplishment in a part of the country that is hungry to wager on sports online.

Of course, the new bill will include more than the legalization of online and mobile sports wagering. Online casino players would also start getting access to online casinos. They would finally be able to legally play online casino games of chance for real cash.

Gambling Service Providers Already Being Recruited

In anticipation of having a bill signed by the end of summer, two of the three aforementioned groups have already formed partnerships with major online gambling providers.

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribe already announced the signing of a partnership deal in December of last year with DraftKings. DraftKings currently holds a place as one of the top online sportsbooks in the U.S. They also offer customers access to the websites online casino and fantasy sports options.

Not to be outdone, the Mohegan Tribe has already inked a deal with Kambi, a global oddsmaker. Kambi would be a new player in the U.S. online gambling community. That is one better than the Connecticut State Lottery that has not yet announced an affiliation or partnership agreement.

This agreement rings of major progress because of the participation of the state's two largest Indian Tribes. Collectively, the two tribes generate hundreds of millions of dollars of tax revenue from land-based casino operations. These tax revenues go right into the state's coffers for the direct benefit of Connecticut residents.

With so much on the line, there is a sense of urgency to get things done as quickly as possible. The New York state legislature is also making good progress towards the legalization of online gambling for its residents. It will be interesting to see which state is able to get across the finish line first.