The first week of sports betting in Connecticut, beginning October 19, rocketed it past Colorado to become the 9th largest sportsbook market in the U.S. This, despite the fact that Colorado has 2.2 million more residents.
During that first week 1.2 million transactions were recorded, many of them from nearby states, such as New York, that don’t yet offer sports betting—but could after the first of the year.
A data analysis done by the Canadian firm GeoComply Solutions Inc., which tracks sports betting in 19 jurisdictions, noted that the focus of gaming activity—about 38 percent— is in southwestern Connecticut, and coming from New York. That is the state’s Interstate 95 Corridor. The data shows a “definite appetite for legal, regulated betting options in the region, particularly from New York,” it said.
The report added, “Rather than flocking to New Jersey and Pennsylvania to gamble, people are taking full advantage of Connecticut, the newest New York City metropolitan area state to enter the legalized sports betting market.”
GeoComply’s vice president of global relations, Chad Kornett, said, “We’ve learned from the New Jersey experience that New Yorkers are clearly motivated to travel locally to bet on sites where proper consumer protections have been put in place that safeguard the integrity of their wager.” He added, “Connecticut looks to be quickly following a similar pattern: Easily accessed from the New York City area.”
A lot of volume has also been seen in Stamford and Bridgeport and other entry points along the New York/Connecticut state line.
Sports betting in the state are offered by the Connecticut Lottery Corp., the Mohegan Tribe and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe through their Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods casinos.
Their online gaming partners include Rush Street Interactive, FanDuel and DraftKings.
