US heavyweights enter Connecticut for real as ‘soft launch’ period ends
FanDuel, DraftKings, and Rush Street Interactive in Constitution State market share grab as expanded sports betting operations gets green light
Unrestricted online gambling has begun in Connecticut after operators in the Constitution State successfully completed a ‘soft launch’ notice period.
US market leader FanDuel and its Connecticut sports betting and igaming partner, the Mohegan tribe, have both launched in the state, offering the Mohegan Sun Casino app for online casino and the FanDuel Sportsbook app to bettors.
As part of a concerted effort to grab early market share in the state, the Mohegan Sun Casino app is offering new registrants the chance to play risk free on their first day up to a value of $1,000.
FanDuel’s sportsbook app will offer Connecticut residents a risk-free bet of up to $1,000, which will be fully refunded, providing the bettor places the bet within the first 72 hours.
In addition to the standalone app, a version of the Mohegan Sun Casino will be also available within the FanDuel Sportsbook app, allowing new casino players to either sign-up for a casino account or use their existing FanDuel DFS or sportsbook accounts to log in and play.
Rival operator DraftKings has unveiled its own Connecticut igaming and sports betting launch in partnership with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe.
Rush Street Interactive, operating via its PlaySugarHouse online sportsbook brand, has also launched in the Constitution State, in partnership with the Connecticut Lottery Corporation.
RSI CEO Richard Schwartz said: “We are very pleased to formally launch our award-winning online sportsbook across Connecticut following a smooth and successful trial period that demonstrated the safety and reliability of our platform.
“We are especially excited to come to market as the NBA and NHL seasons commence and with the MLB play-offs and NFL and collegiate football seasons all underway,” Schwartz added.
The formal launch brings to a close a difficult period for the state of Connecticut in its efforts to launch sports betting and igaming which were hampered by problems at a federal level.
Following a delay in the registration of sports betting agreements, officials from the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (CDCP) were forced to postpone the initial October 9 launch date.
As part of this postponement, regulators implemented a restricted soft launch timetable, for the first seven days of igaming and sports betting operation in the state.
This included restricting operator customer acquisition and capping the hours under which online gambling would be allowed.
In the case of online casino, restrictions were also placed on the games made available to Connecticut players.