Online sports betting has officially launched in Connecticut! FanDuel Sportsbook is now live and offering players a risk free bets of up to $150. Find out more below.
It's been a long and rocky road for sports betting in Connecticut, but the day has finally arrived: online and mobile sport betting is finally here!
With the new NFL season already in full swing and other major sporting events such as baseball's World Series on the near horizon, Connecticut bettors are getting excited about the prospect of placing their first bets next week. From there, CT online casinos and poker will be sure to follow.
Already a hugely popular platform in states that have previously legalized sports betting, FanDuel Sportsbook has opened its virtual doors to Connecticut players thanks to a partnership deal with the Mohegan tribe. Boasting one of the most user-friendly mobile platforms around, FanDuel's CT sports betting offering puts pre-match, in-play and futures markets on all major US events at the fingertips of CT bettors, along with a number of great weekly bonuses.
For its new customer base in Connecticut, Fanduel Sportsbook is offering players who sign up a risk free bets of up to $150! All you need to do to claim this very generous offer, is head over to Fanduel, create an account, deposit and place a wager of at least $5. If the bet you made wins or loses, you will receive $150 in the form of site credit that you can use to place other free bets!
Read the FanDuel Connecticut Sportsbook Review
The other major player in Connecticut's thriving Daily Fantasy Sports market, DraftKings already has a strong foothold in the Northeast thanks to its established partnership with the Mashantucket Pequot tribe. Like its big rival, FanDuel, DraftKings provides one of the most comprehensive betting platforms in the state, with markets on NFL, MLB, and all of the other big national leagues available in just a few taps via its slick and easy-to-use mobile app.
Read the Draftkings Sportsbook Review
Given the CT sports betting market has been gearing up for its big launch for some time, it should come as no surprise that there are already a wealth of offers available at approved operators in the state as they seek to entice new players. We've rounded up some of the best ones for you below:
In terms of sign-up offers, the best three bonuses around come at FanDuel and DraftKings. Refreshingly, all three are quite different in terms of what they offer to players, but all provide tremendous value to new customers. FanDuel promises a big $150 bonus in risk-free bets — issued in the form of a bonus on either winning or losing wagers — while DraftKings provides a $200 in free bet to help get you started. PlaySugerHouse, on the other hand, plays is safe with a fairly conventional 100% match bonus on first deposits of up to $250.
Of course, while sign-up and pre-launch offers are a great way to pocket some additional value at the start of your sports betting journey, it's the ongoing event promotions that separate a great sportsbook from a merely good one. For the early part of the NFL season, FanDuel is offering risk-free bets on same-game parlays, while new customers can also benefit from enhanced odds from week 5 onward. DraftKings, meanwhile, offers the same risk-free parlays and odds boosts as well as throwing in a new user offer of $200 in free bets when a player places a $1+ wager on any of the new season's NFL games.
Registering at any of Connecticut's three legal online sportsbooks is an incredibly simple process. It can be completed entirely remotely and only requires a few details such as:
The only caveat to this is that if your chosen provider has trouble verifying your age or identity, they may contact you for additional details. Remember, there is no residency requirement for Connecticut sports betting, but you will have to be within state borders to place a wager.
As you may have already noticed, there's a new NFL season upon us and Connecticut sportsbooks have done everything they can to get live so users can enjoy as much of the early action as possible. There will be a range of markets available, plus some great weekly offers like free bets and boosted odds.
While Connecticut online sports betting, unfortunately, didn't quite make it live for the start of the NFL season, the state managed to launch on the same day the 2021 NBA season started. Now, Connecticut bettors can find a range of markets at their disposal, with everything from spreads to parlays catered for.
Now that we know Connecticut's sportsbook launch has gone to plan, bettors in the state will have plenty of time to consider their wagers for baseball's World Series. Futures markets will be available on the outright winner, while individual match markets will also offer a wide range of betting options.
Although the Hartford Whalers once represented Connecticut in the NHL, the state has been without a recognized men's professional team since the franchise relocated to Carolina in 1997. Fortunately, it is located between two major sporting hubs in New York and Boston, and women's sport is represented by one of the best-known WNBA franchises, the Connecticut Sun.
Nearby men's professional teams:
NFL - New York Jets, New York Giants, New England Patriots
NBA - New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics
MLB - New York Yankees, New York Mets, Boston Red Socks
NLH - New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins
After much deliberation by legislators, Connecticut sports betting was officially legalized in May 2021. Since then, Draftkings and FanDuel have partnered with Foxwoods Resorts Casino and Mohegan Sun respectively to bring retail sportsbooks to the state, with online betting to follow this month.
The first step towards legalization came in 2017 when Connecticut signed a gaming expansion to have sports betting regulations put in place in the event that the federal ban was lifted. This came to pass in 2018 when the federal government gave individual states the power to make their own decisions on how sports betting would be regulated, but progress in this area was initially very slow.
Indeed, it was not until 2020 when two sports betting bills — H51568 and S21 — were proposed by the Connecticut state government, but both failed to progress despite multiple hearings. That all changed this year, with the proposed legislation being ratified in May 2021 to allow the two tribal operators to operate retail sportsbooks as well as grant betting licenses to three online operators in the state.
Online Sports Betting in Connecticut officially launched on Tuesday, October 19 with three approved operators that were permitted to launch their legal online sportsbooks and mobile betting apps in time for the start of the NBA season.
This means that as of this moment, Connecticut sports betting is now available both in-person and online, giving sports bettors a wealth of places where they can legally wager. What's more, the fact that citizens of Connecticut are now legally able to place sports wagers on the NFL will likely prove a tremendous boon for sports betting revenue in the state.
The short answer is Yes! All three well-known CT sportsbooks have mobile apps and Connecticut bettors can download the apps from both the Apple and Play Stores. There was no doubt that sportsbook giants Draftkings and FanDuel would launch both their online platforms and mobile sports betting apps in Connecticut, and we're glad to see that this option was made available on the day of the launch.
In addition to these two brands, the Connecticut Lottery — in partnership with Rush Street Interactive — has also made sure that the PlaySugarHouse brand would have its own mobile app.
The good news for sports betting in Connecticut is that most major sports betting markets are provided for, with customers free to place their wagers on a wide range of competitions worldwide.
Given the names we've mentioned so far, it should come as no big surprise that Daily Fantasy Sports will continue to be permitted within the state, but they will be joined by an extensive range of legal sports betting markets on everything from NFL, NBA, and MLB to major international competitions.
Popular markets for the latter are expected to include all of the golf majors, grand slam tennis events, and the biggest Formula 1/Moto GP clashes, though there really are very few restrictions in place in terms of what you can bet on, with pre-match, in-play and futures markets all readily available.
The one significant black mark in regards to Connecticut sports betting, however, comes in the form of in-state collegiate events. Like many states before it, Connecticut is looking to showcase that it cares about the issues collegiate betting can cause by restricting wagers on in-state college matchups.
Given the lack of professional teams in the state, this effectively equates to there being no wagers on any in-state sporting events, with one notable exception: bracketed competitions. This means that sports betting on events such as March Madness is legal, making it fair game for Connecticut bettors.
With things now officially up and running, Connecticut bettors are be able to enjoy a total of three betting options: retail sports betting, online sports betting, and mobile sports betting, and they can do it with the added peace of mind that comes with wagering at an online site or brick-and-mortar venue that's regulated, licensed and approved to accept bets in the state.
Just as they were before, players are free to enjoy Daily Fantasy Sports with major operators like FanDuel and DraftKings, while if they don't wish to play at a licensed Connecticut site, they will still have the option to play at most offshore platforms, though this naturally comes with a degree of risk.
Not exactly. Only three licenses for Connecticut sports betting have been handed out to approved operators, with these operators, in turn, being permitted to launch an agreed number of betting operations (also known as “skins”) under the same license.
In terms of retail sports betting, players have a few state-approved options. First, each of the tribal operators in the state have been granted one sports betting skin through which they can legally offer sports betting to Connecticut bettors, and, secondly, the Connecticut Lottery has received 15.
While there is no requirement of residency for sports betting in legal states such as Connecticut, any prospective bettors have to be within state borders if they wish to place a wager — with operators able to confirm that players are where they say through the use of geolocation software.
Providing you keep this rule in mind, however, you'll be able to find a good selection of legal Connecticut sports betting sites and apps at your disposal and will be able to bet on all of your favorite sports markets without needing to step foot in a retail sportsbook unless you actively wish to do so.
Even prior to legal sports betting going live in Connecticut, players were able to bet on their favorite Daily Fantasy Sports betting markets in the state, just as they have been for a number of years.
Indeed, as far back as the first official piece of online legislation being passed in 2017, special provisions have been made to distance Daily Fantasy Sports betting from any other form of CT sports betting. As Daily Fantasy Sports do not fall under the regular definition of sports betting in the state, players are already able to legally wager on them at sites like DraftKings and FanDuel.
For in-person sports betting in Connecticut, we know that the CT Lottery is permitted to operate 15 outlets across the state, giving players a wide range of options to choose from. For the time being, however, we can safely say that retail sports betting is offered at the two tribal operators in Connecticut:
Address: 350 Trolley Line Blvd
Location: Ledyard, CT 06338
Phone: 860-312-3000
Operator: Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
Partner: DraftKings
Address: 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd
Location: Uncasville, CT 06382
Phone: 888-226-7711
Operator: Mohegan Tribe
Partner: FanDuel
The largest resort casino in North America, Foxwoods offers a vast array of gaming options and in-person sports betting as well as its own spas, gourmet restaurants, and an 18-hole golf course.
Like Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun is a vast property featuring three separate casinos — each with its own retail sportsbook — 46 dining options, a prestigious hotel, and the obligatory golf course.
Although not a casino resort, the CT Lottery is considering opening a site at Hartford's XL Center. Should plans be approved, it will become one of the nation's first in-stadium retail sportsbooks.
Post-launch betting at a CT sportsbook is incredibly straightforward. All you'll need to get started are the registration details we mentioned earlier — name, address, email, d.o.b. and Social Security number — and a way to verify them if necessary. Beyond that, if you wish to deposit or withdraw at your chosen operator, you'll need to use one of the available payment methods mentioned below.
Given the established brands that are now operating in the state, players have no issues depositing and withdrawing at licensed CT sportsbooks. One thing to note, however, is that although major credit cards like VISA and Mastercard are accepted, these transactions count as cash advances and can incur fees. Unfortunately, for the moment it seems that e-wallets like Paypal are not available for CT bettors, although this could change in the near future.
The three licensed sportsbook partnerships in Connecticut are either with one of the two tribal operators in the state or with the CT Lottery. The Mashantucket Pequot tribe have teamed up with FanDuel, while the Mohegan Sun tribe offers DraftKings as their online partner. The CT Lottery, meanwhile, is offering online sportsbook services through its PlaySugarHouse Connecticut platform.
The recently approved H51568 and S21 bills allow online operators and the CT Lottery to provide legal sports betting for users who wager from inside state lines. As a condition of obtaining a license, the former have had to partner with tribal outlets in the state, while the latter has been granted 15 skins that provide retail sports betting and can offer online wagering through Rush Street Interactive.
As a state, Connecticut takes this very seriously. Not only are all licensed online sportsbooks required to offer self-exclusion services to players, but most major retail sportsbooks also offer on-site help centers as well. As a general rule, it's important to always set a budget for when you bet so you don't lose more than you can afford and to simply stop if results are affecting you. For more information, check out these handy resources:
Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling (CCPG.org)
Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
Total handle | Mobile handle | Revenue | |
---|---|---|---|
May | $115.180M | $107.746M | $7.137M |
April | $116.465M | $109.441M | $7.187M |
Change | Down 1.1% | Down 1.5% | Down 0.7% |
Updated June 17
With a busy few weeks expected for sports betting sign-ups in Connecticut, you can stay up to date with all the latest news and promotions here at gambling.com.
Sports betting – both live and online – has been legal in Connecticut since May 2021.
Online sports betting is officially live as of Tuesday, 19 October
Yes. Both sites are partnered with tribal casinos in the state, making them fully legal.
Horse racing is legal in Connecticut, but only at authorized off-track (OTB) locations.
You won't be able to bet on college sports in Connecticut, with the exception of bracketed events like March Madness.
Yes. All licensed online sports betting operators already have — or are expected to launch — their own mobile apps.
No. Online sports betting in Connecticut has no residency requirements, though you have to be within state lines to place a wager.
At this moment, just Fanduel is in the state of Connecticut.
"Chet Fussman is a freelance writer for Gambling.com. Fussman is a former horse racing writer and longtime sports editor of the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville. He's a poker and blackjack player and frequent sports bettor, who plans to send the U.S. Supreme Court a thank-you card for clearing the way for states to adopt sports wagering. Fussman's philosophy: Don't let the bad beats overshadow your winning ones."
Reviewer since May 2019