The aging XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut looks like the prime location for a sports betting venue to be chosen by the Connecticut Lottery Corp.
The lottery will hand out 15 sports licenses under a recently passed gaming expansion bill, which allows Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun to operate sportsbooks.
The lottery hasn’t announced other locations yet, but is looking at several in Hartford, the state’s largest city. Most of these are operated by Sportech, which has complained bitterly about being left out of the sports betting deal reached by the tribes and Governor Ned Lamont earlier this year. Sportech could get one or more of those 15 licenses.
The lottery hopes to begin taking bets in time for the NFL season, and will also be operating online sports betting. If the 26-year-old XL Center is chosen, sports wagering would be just part of the activities there, said Lottery Board Chairman Rob Simmelkjaer. Food and beverage outlets and possibly esports would also be part of the mix.
“That’s going to be a plan that is going to involve significant investment, development — possibly construction — so it’s going to be a bit of a longer term play,” he said. “Therefore, we may look to have some short-term locations so we can get to market quickly.”
Simmelkjaer added, “The governor has made it clear that he is looking to do something big there and wants to find a way to have sports betting help the development of that location, a part of a development progress plan for the XL Center.”
The XL Center has been the subject of debate for many years. Critics say the state shouldn’t be running a facility that loses money. Adding a popular gaming center could turn things around, and help pay for needed renovations, say supporters of the idea.
House Speaker Matt Ritter, who represents Hartford, supports a sports betting venue at the arena. “I am confident we will see a path forward,” he said. “It would be odd to be thinking about putting a large facility in something that you were going to knock down.”
Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin added, “Unless we want to see a rusting hulk of steel and concrete in the center of the capital city for decades to come, or we’re prepared to put hundreds of millions of dollars to demolish and subsidize redevelopment of the area, it’s time and long past time to make the investment necessary to upgrade this facility and make it competitive again.”
The aging XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut looks like the prime location for a sports betting venue to be chosen by the Connecticut Lottery Corp.
The lottery will hand out 15 sports licenses under a recently passed gaming expansion bill, which allows Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun to operate sportsbooks.
The lottery hasn’t announced other locations yet, but is looking at several in Hartford, the state’s largest city. Most of these are operated by Sportech, which has complained bitterly about being left out of the sports betting deal reached by the tribes and Governor Ned Lamont earlier this year. Sportech could get one or more of those 15 licenses.
The lottery hopes to begin taking bets in time for the NFL season, and will also be operating online sports betting. If the 26-year-old XL Center is chosen, sports wagering would be just part of the activities there, said Lottery Board Chairman Rob Simmelkjaer. Food and beverage outlets and possibly esports would also be part of the mix.
“That’s going to be a plan that is going to involve significant investment, development — possibly construction — so it’s going to be a bit of a longer term play,” he said. “Therefore, we may look to have some short-term locations so we can get to market quickly.”
Simmelkjaer added, “The governor has made it clear that he is looking to do something big there and wants to find a way to have sports betting help the development of that location, a part of a development progress plan for the XL Center.”
The XL Center has been the subject of debate for many years. Critics say the state shouldn’t be running a facility that loses money. Adding a popular gaming center could turn things around, and help pay for needed renovations, say supporters of the idea.
House Speaker Matt Ritter, who represents Hartford, supports a sports betting venue at the arena. “I am confident we will see a path forward,” he said. “It would be odd to be thinking about putting a large facility in something that you were going to knock down.”
Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin added, “Unless we want to see a rusting hulk of steel and concrete in the center of the capital city for decades to come, or we’re prepared to put hundreds of millions of dollars to demolish and subsidize redevelopment of the area, it’s time and long past time to make the investment necessary to upgrade this facility and make it competitive again.”
