Connecticut to launch mobile betting & casino apps in October

It’s all systems go for the Connecticut mobile betting industry after the state’s Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) announced last week that it had cleared three licensees to launch their online wagering platforms from Tuesday, October 12.

According to the regulator, the rollout will begin with a seven-day soft-launch period that will end on October 18, and if successful, the operators will get the approval to launch statewide on October 19. The DCP has also revealed that each of the three platforms – DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetRivers – will be allowed to register a maximum of only 750 player accounts during the soft-launch period.

FanDuel and DraftKings have partnered with the two tribal casinos in the state: the Mohegan tribe-owned Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville and Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard. The latter is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe. The third online brand, BetRivers, will be operated by Rush Street Interactive on behalf of the Connecticut Lottery.

The operational hours for the sportsbooks during the testing window will be between 3pm and 11pm on Tuesday and Wednesday, 12pm to midnight on Thursday and Friday, and round-the-clock afterwards.

Connecticut iGaming also set to take off

In addition to mobile betting platforms, the DCP has given the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes the green light to launch their online casino products starting Tuesday.

Just like online sportsbooks, the iGaming platforms will go through the mandatory seven-day soft launch before going live statewide.

Each of the platforms will offer 100 RNG games approved by the DCP during this period, and the offering will range from slots to virtual poker and digitized table games. Live dealer games, however, will not be available during the soft-launch window.

The mobile casino product will be integrated into the online sports betting platforms operated by the tribe’s gaming partners, DraftKings and FanDuel. The Connecticut Lottery, however, will not run an iGaming platform.

Mohegan Tribe welcomes mobile gambling launch

Commenting on the Tuesday soft launch, the Chairman of the Mohegan Tribe, James Gessner, started by thanking Governor Ned Lamont and the DCP for working closely with the licensees in the run up to the rollout.

He went on to say that the launch would not only allow the tribes to introduce new gambling options to residents of Connecticut, but it would also help in job creation and generating additional revenue for the state and local communities.

“The Mohegan Tribe is thankful to Governor Lamont and the Department of Consumer Protection for their co-operative efforts to reach this point, as together we finally make online gaming and sport wagering a reality in Connecticut,” said the Chairman.

“Doing so will allow us to not only offer these new products to state residents, it will in turn help protect Connecticut jobs and generate additional tax revenues to the benefit of state and local municipal budgets, as well as our tribe’s members. We’re excited to take this step, and we look forward to a full launch in the days ahead.”

The Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes began taking in-person bets at their casinos on September 30, and they have also been running legal DFS contests in partnership with their online partners since July 1.