Connecticut fully launched online sports betting Tuesday morning to all residents and visitors to the state who are 21 years or older.
Last week, a seven-day soft launch restricted the online wagering to 750 people to make sure each online gaming system was compliant with state laws. Both of the state’s tribal casinos — Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods — and the Connecticut Lottery will be providing online wagering.
“Connecticut has proven to be a leader when it comes to the gaming economy going back decades, and that legacy will continue with the launch of these new online options for all eligible residents,” Gov. Ned Lamont said in a statement. Lamont placed the state’s first legal, in-person sports wager in the state’s history two weeks ago.
Rodney Butler, the chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, which owns Foxwoods Casino, said none of this could have happened without the backing of the state.
“Governor Lamont for his leadership and his vision in pushing Connecticut to the forefront of the gaming industry,” Butler said. “There’s only a handful of states in this country that have approved online gaming and it's his desire to make sure that Connecticut is at the front of the pack and is a big reason for why we’re here today.”
More than 130 games have been approved by the state Department of Consumer Protection for online gaming apps FanDuel through Mohegan Sun and DraftKings through Foxwoods.
Matt Kalish, the co-founder of DraftKings, encouraged people to gamble responsibility. He said they have built in safeguards to make sure that happens.
“Because it’s on mobile. Because there’s so much data around the behaviors we’re also able to proactively detect when there might be some anomalous betting behavior — like something that doesn’t appear healthy — and take action, even if the consumer themselves does not initiate that,” Kalish said.
