On October 12, Connecticut sports betting began a week-long soft launch, with Major League Baseball generating most of the most wagers that first day.
It was the second time in U.S. history (Michigan was the first) that retail sportsbook and online gaming platforms went live on the same day in the same state.
The opening day was originally going to be a week earlier, but was pushed back for technical reasons. Usually soft openings last two or three days; the week-long soft opening, while unusual, has been attributed to the state lottery’s lack of previous experience in online gaming.
Department of Consumer Protection communications chief Kaitlyn Krasselt told reporters that the lottery, the state’s two gaming tribes and their vendors are putting the programs through their paces to locate and ferret out any bugs. They want to ensure that the security infrastructure will keep out underage players, limit where people can place bets and make it possible for the three operators to generate the required reports.
Krasselt told Sports Handle, “In Connecticut, we don’t have any of this– it’s all brand-new. And it’s not a gradual thing: We’re jumping into something new altogether. Our primary goal is to make sure that businesses can operate in a fair marketplace and that consumers are protected, so we just want to make sure that things work the way they are supposed to. … We want to make sure, for example, that people can’t sign up accounts for their kids or deceased relatives.”
During the soft launch, the lottery, the Mohegan Tribe and its vendor DraftKings, and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and its vendor FanDuel are allowed to sign up no more than 750 patrons each. They started taking bets only during set times: 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, and from noon to 11:59 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. They were set to go to 24/7 by Saturday, October 16. A FanDuel spokesman said it’s “a chance for all operators to test their systems with a controlled group of customers.”
The Mohegan Sun Casino and Foxwoods Resort Casino are also allowed to offer some online casino games during this period. More than 100 games are included—none with live dealers or betting peer to peer, or against other players.
The tribes and their vendors began taking in-person retail sports wagers on September 30. In addition, the Connecticut Lottery Corporation (CLC) has partnered with the OTB provider Sportech to operate 10 sports betting kiosks, although they haven’t begun taking bets yet. The lottery’s sportsbook vendor is Rush Street Interactive under the brand PlaySugarHouse.com. It’s offering a $250 sign-up bonus for new players in the state.
RSI President Richard Schwartz says the company is honored to have been chosen by the Connecticut Lottery.
“This partnership represents a significant milestone for RSI, as the trust and confidence of a state-backed organization such as the CLC further validates the strength of our award-winning online gaming platform and customer service,” he said. “Building on our proven track record of success in the tri-state area, where RSI was an early entrant in New Jersey and is the market leader in retail sports betting amongst New York’s commercial casinos, we are thrilled to collaborate with the CLC team to offer Connecticuters safe, convenient, and unique gaming experiences.”
Krasselt said, “Everything is going well so far, and our team is looking forward to continuing to work with the operators through the rest of the soft launch,” Krasselt said. “As long as no major issues arise, the full launch will begin next week.”
Even before retail wagering began, the DCP opened its voluntary exclusion portal that allows players to put themselves on a list so they won’t be allowed to make bets. Operators are also required to put timers on aps so that players are always aware of how much time they are devoting to their pastime. It also informs they when they have wagered $2,500 although currently there is no wagering limit.
