U.S. Sports Betting: Around the Horn

Every month, there is a lot of important sports betting news coming out from all over the U.S. Currently, the hot stories include the continuing sports betting debacle in Florida, the growing sports betting market in Louisiana, and Connecticut goes live with a soft launch of sports betting.

Sports Betting is Now Open in Florida….But

On Oct 15, 2021, the Seminole Hard Rock Casino’s Pool Bar & Grill could officially start taking sports bets. However, that first bet has not yet been accepted and there is no telling when that time will come. At issue are three legal challenges that have been made against the Seminole Tribe’s exclusive rights to offer retail and online sports betting in the state.

Experts are predicting that the Florida sports betting market could be worth $1 billion a year in sports betting revenue. That is probably why the Indian Tribe didn’t blink when they signed a new Indian Compact that requires them to pay $500 million a year to the state for exclusive sports betting rights. Governor Ron DeSantis was likewise happy with the deal.

The ones who are not happy with the deal are the state’s pari-mutuel industry (race tracks, Jai Lai), which is being excluded from the process. With the full backing of top U.S. sports betting operators like DraftKings, Fanduel, and Caesars Sportsbook, lawsuits have been filed. Assuming an injunction against taking bets is forthcoming, the Seminole Tribe is preparing for the moment the sports betting coast looks clear.

Louisiana Sports Bettors are Gaining Access to Bookmakers

Originally, sports betting in Louisiana was scheduled to go live at the beginning of October 2021. Due to an untimely hurricane, many of the state’s riverboat casinos were forced into delay mode. The only exception was the Paragon Casino Resort, which launched on October 7 with Betfred Sports.

As of October, 13 other casinos have applied for sports betting licenses. In all likelihood, most of those casinos have already partnered with top U.S. sports betting operators like BetMGM, DraftKings, Twinspires, and Fanduel. Ince licensing is in place, most of these casinos should be ready to roll within a week or two.

That leaves 7 casinos that have yet to apply for a license that has been allocated to them. They will have until Jan 1, 2022, to apply before their licenses will be offered to other gambling concerns throughout the state.

Connecticut Starts With Soft Launch on Sports Betting

Instead of jumping in the deep end of the pool, the state of Connecticut has decided to use a soft launch for sports bettors. Retail sports betting will be available at the Mohegan Sun Casino and Foxwoods Casino.

For the time being, betting hours will be limited to 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and then from 12:00 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursdays and Fridays. Online sports betting will be limited to the first 750 patrons.

This is considered a test run. Should everything go smoothly, bettors should be getting more access within the next 30 days.