Connecticut residents could be gaming online and betting on sports by October after the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs granted final approval to gaming compacts between the state and the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes.
The approval moves the tribes, which operate casinos in eastern Connecticut, and the Connecticut Lottery Corp. one step closer to implementing sports wagering and online gaming under a law Gov. Ned Lamont signed in May.
“This critical step in the process of modernizing our gaming landscape here in Connecticut ensures that our state will have a competitive, nation-leading marketplace for wagering both in-person and online,” Lamont said in a statement.
The General Assembly’s Regulation Review Committee recently approved sports wagering and online gaming regulations proposed by the state Department of Consumer Protection.
The BIA’s final approval means the DCP can finish its licensing process to certify the gaming platforms.
The tribes and the Lottery Corp. have each partnered with outside companies to operate retail sportsbooks.
A recent study indicated that combined operator revenues from the state’s online gaming industry could exceed $400 million a year once the market matures.
Casino officials were pleased with the BIA approval.
“This expansion will allow us to enhance investments in support of our tribe, to contribute additional revenue to the state of Connecticut and to provide a new level of entertainment for our guests,” Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Chair Rodney Butler said.
Mohegan Tribal Council Chairman James Gessner Jr. said the new gaming options “will help protect and create Connecticut jobs, and it will generate tax revenues to the benefit of both state and local municipal budgets, as well as our tribe’s members.”
