It was supposed to happen today. That’s not happening. However, Connecticut will launch its first state-regulated online gaming sites soon. The process is moving forward, despite a few hiccups.
In reality, everything has happened really quickly. While there were years of bills that didn’t make their way through the Connecticut legislature, this year’s bill did. Governor Ned Lamont only signed the bill in May 2021, and the regulatory process moved quickly under emergency rules. The goal was to push for the launch of sports betting before football season and online casinos around the same time.
Sports betting is now live. Online casino sites are a week or so behind schedule, but they appear to be prepared to launch before the end of October.
Online poker isn’t so lucky. No operators have approached the Mashantucket Pequots or Mohegans to sign an online poker agreement, so there are no poker sites in the works. Expedited Emergency Process
After years of work by Connecticut lawmakers like State Senator Catherine Osten to legalize internet gaming, this year was the year to do it. By March 2021, all parties – a bipartisan group of lawmakers, the two tribes with gambling compacts, and Governor Lamont – had a bill. It moved through committees and then passed the House by 122-to-8 and the Senate by 28-to-6. Lamont received it and signed it on May 27, 2021.
Department of Consumer Protections Commissioner Michelle Seagull put together a set of emergency regulations to expedite the process of approving and implanting the new rules of the industry. Lamont approved that, too. The Legislation Regulation Review Committee then approved them.
From there, the document went to the United States Department of the Interior, as Secretary Deb Haaland had to approve the new compacts between the Mashantucket Pequots, Mohegans, and Governor Lamont. In September, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs did approve the compacts. ICYMI: The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs approved the state’s new gaming agreements with the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes. See them here: https://t.co/6kYzSd6STq pic.twitter.com/4mJ0bRjSps
— CT Legis. Research (@CT_OLR) October 7, 2021 Lamont commented, “This critical step in the […]
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