Now that sports betting has been legalized by Connecticut, the state lottery has published a request for qualifications (RFQ) for potential sports betting partners. Responses are due by April 23, with formal proposal due May 10, indicating the urgency the lottery is operating under to provide sports betting by fall.
Lottery Chairman Rob Simmelkjaer, interviewed by Legal Sports Report, declared, “There is a hope to launch sports betting in Connecticut by the start of NFL season. That’s been articulated by the governor, by the leaders of the tribal nations that are going to be our partners slash competitors in the state.” He added, “It’s an aggressive timeline – not sure that it will happen. But we’ve created a timeline that at least leaves that possibility open.”
Simmelkjaer said the state market will have “three competitive entities.” The quality of the product and pricing will be consideration, so will acquiring and keeping customers. He said the ideal situation would for anyone in the state to be within 30 minutes of a sportsbook retailer.
“It’s something we spent a lot of time thinking about and working on in the process of negotiating this deal with the administration and the tribes,” he said.
Operators must already be operating in at least three jurisdictions, within the U.S. or internationally. Sports betting revenue will be subject to a 13.75 percent tax.
The state has almost 3,000 lottery retails. “They won’t all be taking sports bets,” Simmelkjaer said, “but they’re all touch points that we can use potentially as we look to acquire customers.”
Although sports betting has been legalized, the legal framework must still be fleshed out by lawmakers. Then tribal gaming compacts will need to be amended and approved by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.
