Connecticut Online Sports Betting Goes Live with Soft Launch
@loumonaco
PlaySugarHouse, along with industry stalwarts DraftKings and FanDuel, kicked off Connecticut online sports betting with a weeklong soft launch beginning Tuesday.
The state’s Department of Consumer Protection on Oct. 8 notified the Connecticut Lottery Corp., and the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes, they can begin a seven-day soft launch for online wagering Tuesday at 3 p.m. The state’s initial planned soft launch last week was delayed.
CHECK OUT: Top US online casinos
After a week of testing during the limited player sign-up period, the three sportsbooks are scheduled to officially launch on Oct. 19. Each can create or register 750 bettors to place wagers throughout the week during specific hours. The times of operation during the soft launch period are 3-11 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday; Noon-11:59 p.m. on Thursday and Friday; then on a 24-hour cycle through the rest of the soft launch period.
After the player limit is reached, PlaySugarHouse will add pre-registered customers to a waiting list for the full launch. Bettors on the wait list will receive an extra free bet once their PlaySugarHouse accounts can be opened, on top of the $250 first deposit match bonus to all new players, according to a news release.
“We are thrilled to begin the much-anticipated launch of the PlaySugarHouse online sportsbook with the Connecticut Lottery and bring our award-winning product to players in Connecticut,” Richard Schwartz, chief executive officer of Rush Street, said in the release. “We are confident that with our huge volume of betting content, wide range of deposit and withdrawal methods, real-time cash-out approvals, and best-in-class customer service, Connecticut players will come to prefer PlaySugarHouse when wagering on their favorite sports.”
A DraftKings spokesperson confirmed the company's soft launch Tuesday.
“Together with Foxwoods, DraftKings can confirm that we will begin the required soft launch testing phase ahead of the full launch of our online Casino and Sportsbook in Connecticut. Starting on Oct. 12, a small number of customers will be able to place bets legally via our online Casino and Sportsbook during specific daily windows as determined by Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection," the spokesperson said in an email. "We are hopeful to receive approval to fully launch our online Casino and Sportsbook to all Connecticut customers following a successful completion of the soft launch testing period.”
Retail is Live in Connecticut
Retail sports betting in Connecticut went live on Sept. 30 at the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation’s Foxwoods Resort Casino (FanDuel) and at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville (DraftKings). Both operators opened temporary sportsbooks as they work toward having permanent ones.
Connecticut online casinos also could soft launch on Tuesday. DraftKings Casino and FanDuel Casino will be the two options available in the state.
PlaySugarHouse is the Connecticut Lottery Corp.’s official sportsbook partner. In addition to online and mobile sports betting, those in Connecticut will soon be able to bet at 15 PlaySugarHouse retail sportsbooks across the state, including at Bobby V’s locations in Stamford and Windsor Locks; Sports Haven in New Haven; and the Winners locations in Hartford, Manchester, Waterbury, Torrington, New Britain, Milford, and Norwalk, according to the release.
Connecticut joins the following states with either PlaySugarHouse.com or BetRivers.com sportsbooks from Rush Street: Pennsylvania, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Michigan, Indiana, Virginia, Colorado, Iowa and West Virginia.
Soft Launch Parameters
For Connecticut Lottery Corp.
- Online sports wagering in Connecticut only;
- Soft launch will be limited to 750 patrons betting directly through the online platform;
- Online sports wagering will be limited to the times mentioned earlier.
DraftKings & FanDuel
- Online sports betting in Connecticut only;
- Online casino gaming will be limited to games approved by the state Department of Consumer Protection during the start of the soft launch (more than 100 games);
- Llive dealer or peer-to-peer online casino games are not part of the soft launch. The soft launch is limited to 750 people during the same times listed above.
Contributors
Lou Monaco had been East Coast Scene columnist for Gaming Today in Las Vegas since June 2019, covering the East Coast sportsbook scene with emphasis on NJ and PA. He also currently is a part-time writer for the high school sports department for NJ Advanced Media (NJ.com) in Iselin, NJ. Lou has over 30 years sports experience with previous stints at ESPN SportsTicker, Daily Racing Form and Oddschecker.
