State consumer protection officials have given the greenlight for Connecticut’s approved gambling providers to begin a “soft launch” of online betting options today, almost a week after that functionality was supposed to get up and running.
The Mohegan Tribe, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and Connecticut Lottery Corp. have permission to launch their online wagering platforms starting at 3 p.m. today, albeit with limitations.
For all three entities, participation in the soft launch will be limited to 750 bettors only, and patrons can only place bets during specific times — 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and 12 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. After that, operators can move to a 24-hour cycle.
For the two tribes, which operate the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods casinos, online gambling will be limited to games already approved by the state Department of Consumer Protection, and live dealer and peer-to-peer games will not initially be available.
The trial period will run for seven days, state officials said.
“We appreciate the hard work of our licensees and their teams, as well as the team at DCP, for their diligence in ensuring these platforms are compliant with the regulations approved by the legislature,” said Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull. “As long as no issues arise, we have told the licensees they may move forward with the 7-day soft launch required in the regulations. Once the soft launch is complete, online gaming will open statewide.”
Each licensed provider has partnered with a gambling operator to facilitate and manage the launch of online sports wagering — Foxwoods with DraftKings, Mohegan Sun with FanDuel and the Connecticut Lottery Corp. with Rush Street Interactive.
The launch of statewide online and retail sports betting was supposed to take place Thursday, but complications at the federal level created a delay.
Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun had both launched in-person sports betting at their facilities a week before.
