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Gov. Ned Lamont, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Chairman Rodney Butler, and Mohegan Tribal Council Chairman James Gessner Jr. announced that the US Bureau of Indian Affairs has granted final approval to a bill signed in May.
On Friday, May 27, Lamont made it official a day after the state Senate passed a bill to make gambling legal in Connecticut, signing the bill into law at the State Capitol.
The CT Lottery can also have in-person sports betting at up to 15 licensed facilities including one in Hartford and one in Bridgeport.
Late last month, the Connecticut General Assembly’s Regulation Review Committee approved the regulations for sports wagering and online gaming as proposed by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.
The department will now continue the licensing process and the review necessary to certify the gaming platforms.
“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. “I thank the Bureau of Indian Affairs for approving these revisions, as well as the efforts of our partners with the Mohegan Tribe and Mashantucket Pequot Tribe.
“Today’s announcement puts Connecticut on the cusp of providing a modern, technologically advanced gaming experience that will be competitive with our neighboring states and positions us for success into the future.”
It is expected that sports wagering and online gaming will be available for Connecticut residents in October.
“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,” Butler said.
Gessner added: “Modernizing our gaming industry 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.
“This is not just a regional issue – it will have a statewide impact as Connecticut works to meet critical needs as it recovers from the pandemic.”
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