Connecticut Sees Drop in Sports Betting, iGaming Handle in February

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Connecticut Sees Drop in Sports Betting, iGaming Handle in February
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The amount of money bet on sports declined in Connecticut during February, as did the state’s online casino gaming totals.

Even with a dip, the state still saw more than $850 million wagered on sports and online games in February.

Online gaming in Connecticut, or iGaming, far outpaced the amount of money wagered on sports statewide in February.

Connecticut’s iGaming handle topped $743.8 million in February, down 4.6% from January’s $780 million. The “handle” is the amount of money bettors wager, before winners are paid.

In February, the state took in $17.1 million in tax revenue from iGaming, a decline of 9% from January's $18.8 million.



Connecticut Sports Betting, February vs. January

Total handle Mobile handleRevenue
February$115.620M$108.771M$3.647M
January$158.092M$149.353M$8.309M
ChangeDown 26.9%Down 27.2%Down 56.1%

New York Lawmaker Seeks Connecticut-Style iGaming

Connecticut has been mentioned in legislation filed next door in New York to allow online casino games in the Empire State.

Senate Bill 8412, sponsored by state Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., D-Queens, notes that some of New York’s neighbors, including Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, already have legal iGaming.

The senator’s bill, which would allow online table games and slots, is awaiting a hearing in the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee. The legislative session in Albany ends June 2.

Addabbo told Gambling.com that iGaming, if approved, could outperform sports betting in New York.

Sports betting is allowed inside New York’s four upstate casinos and anywhere in the state on mobile devices such as smartphones. From Jan. 8 through the end of February, mobile sports bettors in New York wagered a record $3.5 billion.

NFL Playoff Games Boost January Betting

In Connecticut, the total sports betting handle in February topped $115.6, down 26.9% from the $158 million wagered on sports in January.

The majority of sports betting in Connecticut came on mobile devices. In states such as Connecticut that allow in-person and mobile sports betting, the majority of wagering takes places on mobile devices rather than at casino ticket windows.

The Connecticut mobile sports betting handle in February was $108.7 million, down 27.2% from January’s $149.3 million.

The decline in wagering from January to February is due partly to the number of weekends in each month. January had five weekends, while February had four.

Also, 12 NFL playoff games and the College Football Playoff National Championship took place during January. Major football games usually are the nation’s most heavily wagered sporting events.

February’s sports betting totals got a boost from the NFL’s Super Bowl, held Feb. 13 in Southern California.