Connecticut online sports betting first went live in October 2021, and this has been a market that hasn’t seen a ton of change. That’s no longer the case, though, as the Connecticut Lottery is looking for a new sports betting partner.
Since the online sports betting launch, the Connecticut Lottery has been offering online sports betting through the SugarHouse Sportsbook. SugarHouse is a product of Rush Street Interactive, but that company just recently announced that it was ending the contract with the lottery.
This came as a shock to the Connecticut Lottery, and it also creates a pretty massive hole in the competitive market. Since that announcement was made, the Connecticut Lottery has been seeking a new partner and is now accepting applications for that position.
The Connecticut Lottery Corporation first started looking for a new partner back in April, but an official deal hasn’t been reached with any company. There were a number of things that the CLC was looking for in a new partner, including a company with a veteran management team and one that would provide plenty of bonuses for retail customers.
More Retail Sportsbooks Coming
The Connecticut Lottery has complete control over the retail sports betting industry as well, and it has been authorized to offer up to 15 retail sportsbooks. It has been extremely slow getting this portion of the industry up and running, as there are currently just nine retail sportsbooks in the state.
That number is expected to jump up to 10 by the end of September as a retail sportsbook is coming to the XL Center. The XL Center is located in Hartford, and it is known for hosting men’s and women’s college basketball games for the University of Connecticut.
There was a chance that the New England Patriots were going to move to Hartford at the start of the 21st century, but that didn’t happen. Instead, the new sportsbook at the XL Center will try to entice bettors to wager on the Patriots there as opposing to betting in Massachusetts.
Could DraftKings Target Massachusetts Neighbor?
DraftKings Sportsbook is already offering online sports betting in the state of Connecticut, but it could benefit by joining forces with the Connecticut Lottery. The state of Connecticut is one in which the DFS industry is popular, and DraftKings could look to take advantage of both industries.
FanDuel Sportsbook is another of the top DFS operators in the country, and it is already in the state of Connecticut. The Connecticut Lottery has not indicated whether DraftKings or FanDuel has reached out for a potential partnership, but both operators would have plenty to gain.
There are going to be other companies that are looking to enter the state of Connecticut that should reach out to the Connecticut Lottery as well. Even though this is not a state with a large sports betting market, there is plenty of bettors in the Northeast region of the country, but Connecticut is now in a battle with Massachusetts.
