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Governor Ned Lamont signed Bill HB6451 into law in May 2021, making both retail and online sports wagering legal in the Nutmeg State. It wasn’t months later until full-fledged sports betting officially went live in Connecticut on October 19, 2021, following a week-long soft launch.
According to the agreement, the Connecticut Lottery Corporation, the Mohegan Tribe, and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe will offer online and retail sports wagering to all adults 21 and older physically located within the state’s borders.
Retail sports betting in Connecticut started in September 2021 at the Mashantucket Pequot-owned Foxwoods Casino, which partnered with the heavy-hitter brand DraftKings to operate both its retail and online sportsbook. At the same time, another A-lister, FanDuel, initiated retail sports betting inside Mohegan Sun Casino.
The Connecticut Lottery jumped the retail sports betting bandwagon a month later, on October 25, 2021, by opening the betting windows Sports Haven in New Haven through a Sportech partnership. The Lottery is poised to eventually set up 15 retail sports betting locations across the state.
Rush Street Interactive also joined the party via a partnership with the Connecticut Lottery, launching its SugarHouse brand when online betting opened up but shutdown operations in CT in March 2023.
This guide will cover the best online sportsbooks in Connecticut, the laws and regulators that apply to sports wagering, and other details you need to be aware of before placing your first bets.
Best Online Sportsbooks in CT
We have analyzed both of the online sportsbooks currently operating in CT and ordered them below based on our overall rating for them.
Our ratings are based on 8 categories including odds, intro promo, promotions & odds boosts, sports & bets offered, user interface, deposits & withdrawals, customer reviews, and education & statistics.
Best Online Sportsbooks in PA
- FanDuel: Best Overall (Tied)
- DraftKings: Best Variety of Sports
Best Online Sportsbooks in CT
1) FanDuel Sportsbook CT: Best Overall
Ratings
- Odds: 5/5
- Intro Promo: 4.5/5
- Odds Boosts & Promos: 5/5
- Sports & Bets Offered: 5/5
- User Interface: 5/5
Intro Promo
New customers receive $150 in Bonus Bets after depositing $10+ and placing a $5+ bet. Your bonus bets will be credited within 72 hours of your first wager settling and you have 7 days to use them. No promo code required. Access the promo with our exclusive link here.
FanDuel is tied as our highest-rated sportsbook thanks to the competitive odds, generous promotions and odds boosts, variety of bet types and sports to wager on, and a great user experience on both the website and mobile app.
The Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets sign-up bonus if one of the best of all legal sportsbooks since it only requires a $10 deposit and $5 bet to receive 30x your initial bet. FanDuel's welcome bonus gives you the opportunity to build a nice bankroll to start off betting with.
FanDuel pioneered the “Same Game Parlay” and offers the smoothest and most complete process for betting them. With these, you can combine prop bets, totals, and sides from the same game in a single parlay. If you've ever seen screenshots of ridiculous parlays from a single game online, it was likely a Same Game Parlay from FanDuel.
Whether you are looking for a single sportsbook to use or want to add another book to your lineup of options, FanDuel Sportsbook is one of the best options currently available. There's a reason FanDuel dominates market share in the U.S. and we think you'll be very satisfied if you decide to go with them.
Pros
- Competitive intro bonus for new customers
- Better odds than most competitors
- Pioneered Same Game Parlays
- Regularly offer great odds boosts & promotions
- Top notch user experience in app & site
- Great customer reviews
Cons
- App sometimes crashes during peak hours
- Some customers periodically have trouble logging in
2) DraftKings Sportsbook CT: Best Deposit Match
Ratings
- Odds: 5/5
- Intro Promo: 4.5/5
- Odds Boosts & Promos: 4.5/5
- Sports & Bets Offered: 5/5
- User Interface: 4.5/5
Intro Promo
DraftKings will match 20% of your first deposit of up to $5,000 ($1,000 max match in site credit). You must bet the bonus 25x before you are able to withdraw it and you have 90 days to do so.
DraftKings Sportsbook is another amazing option when it comes to sports betting sites.
DraftKings offers competitive odds, generous promotions and odds boosts, a variety of sports to wager on and bet types (including Same Game Parlays), and great user experience on both the website and mobile app.
The intro promo provides good value ($1,000 if maxed out), but the 25x rollover requirement is a lot especially considering you only have 90 days to bet it. In order to take advantage of the full welcome bonus, you would need to deposit $5,000 then bet $25,000 over the first 90 days.
Like most other competitive online sportsbooks, DraftKings regularly offers odds boosts and ongoing promotions—such as parlay insurance, ways to earn bonus bets, and more. Taking advantage of these is a great way to maximize your winnings.
Though it isn't quite our highest-rated sportsbook, DraftKings in undoubtedly one of the best options currently available and we think you'll be very satisfied if you go with them. Just be sure to read the fine print on the intro promo and bet the deposit match in time.
Pros
- Have better odds than almost every other sportsbook
- More odds boosts & promotions than other books
- Offers same game parlays
- Great user experience on the site & app
- Provide player & team stats for most games
- Great customer reviews
Cons
- 25x rollover requirement on intro promo
- Relatively long withdrawal wait times
How We Rate Online Sportsbooks in CT
Here at Odds Assist, we are committed to creating objective, transparent ratings to help you make the best decisions when it comes to which sportsbooks to use. We will continually update our Editorial Ratings over time as sportsbooks introduce new features, change promotions, etc.
Each sportsbook we review goes through our extensive rating process that evaluates thousands of data points in eight categories, including the following:
| Category | Weight | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Odds |
25% |
How competitive the odds offered are across all major sports |
|
Intro Promo |
15% |
How competitive the intro promo for new customers is |
|
Promos & Odds Boosts |
15% |
How many & how generous ongoing odds boosts & promotions are |
|
Sports & Bets Offered |
10% |
Which sports & types of wagers are offered by the sportsbook |
|
User Interface |
10% |
How user friendly the website & mobile app(s) are |
|
Deposits & Withdrawals |
10% |
Which deposit & withdrawal methods are available as well as payout speed |
|
Customer Reviews |
10% |
How positive customer reviews across other platforms are |
|
Education & Statistics |
5% |
The availability of educational & responsible gaming resources as well as team & player statistics |
We rate each sportsbook relative to other sportsbooks in each category. Each is scored from 1 to 5 with each representing the following:
- 5 Stars: Best in category
- 4 Stars: Above-average
- 3 Stars: Average
- 2 Stars: Below-average
- 1 Star: Worst in category
Data for all sportsbooks were collected simultaneously to ensure fairness. For example, we only compared odds for the same games at the same times across all sportsbooks reviewed.
To learn more, check out our full Ratings Methodology page.
All Online Sportsbooks in Connecticut
According to the law, the Department of Consumer Protection can only license three online operators, all of which are already live and operational in the state.
Here’s a full breakdown of the operators:
Sportsbook | Tech provider | Launch date | Intro promo |
|---|---|---|---|
| SBTech | October 19, 2021 | $1,000 deposit match | |
| OpenBet | October 19, 2021 | Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets If Your Bet Wins |
Physical Sportsbooks in Connecticut
According to the tribal gaming compacts and the sports wagering and iGaming law, each of the two tribes in the state is permitted to operate a retail sportsbook, while the Connecticut State Lottery is allowed to set up 15 retail betting venues.
In cooperation with Sportech, an exclusive provider of Connecticut’s off-track betting systems for more than 25 years, Connecticut has opened retail sportsbooks at Winners OTB’s Sports Haven and Bobby V's Restaurant & Sports Bar locations in Bradley and Stamford.
The Bobby V's Restaurant & Sports Bar locations feature over 20 betting kiosks, a sports bar menu, and teller betting in Winners OTB. Speaking of Winners OTB, Connecticut's top sports betting will potentially get 10 locations in the following months.
Here is where you can place in-person bets in Connecticut:
- DraftKings at Foxwoods Resort Casino: 350 Trolley Line Blvd, Ledyard, CT 06338
- Fanduel at Mohegan Sun: 1 Mohegan Sun Boulevard, Uncasville, CT 06382
- Winners Sports Haven: 600 Long Wharf Dr, New Haven, CT 06511
- Bobby V's Windsor Locks: Schoephoester Rd, Windsor Locks, CT 06382
- Bobby V's Stamford: 268 Atlantic Street, Stamford, CT 06901
Team Partnerships with Connecticut Sportsbooks
Ever since the NHL’s Hartford Whalers relocated from Hartford, Connecticut to North Carolina in 1997 and became known as the Carolina Hurricanes, the Nutmeg State has not had a professional sports team in major-league competitions.
However, with regulated sports betting on the rise and the arrival of FanDuel and DraftKings, it’s expected these companies will partner with some pro teams that CT residents are typically fans of, such as New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, and Boston Celtics.
Connecticut Sports Betting Timeline
It seems that no other state in the U.S. has managed to roll out sports betting faster than Connecticut. The soft opening of retail and online sportsbooks happened in less than 5 months from the moment the legal framework was established.
Betting has been around Connecticut in one form or another for quite some time, and these are the most important moments in the state’s sports wagering history:
- January 14, 2021: Bill SB 146 was introduced to allow native tribes to offer online casino gaming and sports betting.
- March 18, 2021: Legislators reach agreements with native tribes to include them in the process of deciding on the status of sports betting in the state.
- May 13, 2021: The Connecticut Lottery calls for interested parties to submit online sports betting partnerships applications.
- May 27, 2021: The initial Bill SB146 expands into the bill HB6451 signed into law by Gov. Ned Lamont.
- September 15, 2021: The new tribal compacts between Connecticut and the Mohegan Indians are ratified and come into effect, thus allowing the tribe to set up online casino gaming and sports wagering.
- September 30, 2021: Retail sportsbooks at Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun open for business.
- October 12, 2021: Online Connecticut sportsbooks open with a soft launch.
- October 19, 2021: Full-scale online and retail sports betting and online casino gaming are inaugurated.
- March 31, 2023: SugarHouse shuts down operations in Connecticut.
Connecticut Sports Betting Rules & Regulations
Getting started with online sports wagering in Connecticut is simple, but you should know about some legal requirements to make sure you have a smooth betting experience.
Who Can Bet in Connecticut?
All persons over the age of 21 and physically located in Connecticut may take part in real money wagering. You don’t have to be a resident to bet.
To register an account, you need to provide personal information to the online and/or retail sports betting operator. The information includes and is not limited to:
- Name
- Address
- Email address
- Date of birth
- Last 4 digits of your
- Social Security number
Note that operators will use geolocation software to make sure that you are within the state border when placing a real money bet.
Using the Connecticut online sports betting apps comes with the geolocation software built-in, while you may be required to download the software for your desktop device.
Licensing Details and Tax Rates
Online and retail sportsbooks are licensed by the Department of Consumer Protection, imposing a 13.75% tax rate on sports wagering to all operators. The license agreements are issued for 10 years with a possible 5-year extension.
The legislators expect all newly-legalized forms of gambling to bring in about $80 million in revenue, including sports betting.
Betting Limits and Restrictions
All three online sportsbooks to offer sports wagering and their retail counterparts must comply with specific rules related to the bet types accepted.
Namely, you can place all types of bets on professional sporting events for all sports, including pre-match and live bets on minor league baseball, tennis, and even mixed martial arts.
However, you can only bet on any of the Connecticut college teams when those teams are playing in an intercollegiate tournament including at least four Connecticut teams. Otherwise, bets on college teams will not be accepted.
Connecticut Sports Betting FAQs
Is sports betting legal in Connecticut?
As of May 27, 2021, and the Governor’s signing the Bill HB6451 into law, sports betting is considered entirely legal and regulated.
When did Connecticut sportsbooks become open for business?
The first retail sportsbooks at Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun tribal land-based casinos opened for business on September 30, 2021. A month later, a retail sportsbook run by the Connecticut State Lottery opened at Sports Haven. The soft launch of online sports betting took place on October 12, 2021, while the fully open sportsbooks emerged a week later.
How old do I have to be to place bets in Connecticut?
You have to be 21 or older to place a real money bet in Connecticut sportsbooks.
Do I have to be a resident of Connecticut to bet?
No, you simply need to be physically present in CT to place a bet.
Are there any retail sportsbooks in Connecticut?
There are several retail sportsbooks in Connecticut at the moment, two of which are located at Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun Casino, respectively, and two more at Bobby V's and Winners OTB’s locations run by the state lottery. There can be a total of 15 retail locations under the jurisdiction of the lottery.
Is daily fantasy sports legal in Connecticut?
Daily fantasy sports are entirely legal in Connecticut following the legislation passed in 2017 legalizing and authorizing fantasy sports.
Are offshore sportsbooks legal in Connecticut?
Offshore sports betting sites, like Bovada, are not legal in Connecticut. Only those online casinos and sports wagering sites that have received a license from the Department of Consumer Protection can offer betting options for players.
