Connecticut Sports Betting + CT Online Sports Betting

The wave of sports betting legalization is sweeping the country and picking up momentum. We continue to see new bills proposed and passed, inching many states towards full legalization so we can all get in on the money-making action. However, Connecticut is one of the states that seems to be running on a treadmill. There is action happening, but they aren’t really moving forward. Here are the top five things you need to know about Connecticut sports betting and CT sports betting apps.

1) Is Connecticut Sports Betting Legal?

No, Connecticut continues to struggle making any real progress. In 2017, the state passed a gaming package, which called for the establishing of structures for the potential of sports betting. While the state has been active in its efforts to establish sports betting, led by Gov. Ned Lamont, the state-tribe friction as held up the process.

2) What Bills are Currently Before the State Legislature?

So, if there was a gaming package already passed, then what is holding this process up? The main argument can be simplified into deciding if sports betting is a casino game or not.

The proposed bill, H 5168, argues that sports betting is not elusively a casino game. It allows for the casinos, off-track betting parlors and for the Connecticut Lottery to all offer sports betting. The Native casinos argue this is only a way to work around their exclusivity in the gaming industry.

3) What are the Next Steps for CT Sports Betting?

As it stands right now, either way the legislature goes would result in a lawsuit. If the current bill is passed, where all stakeholders are able to offer sports betting, the Natives would file a lawsuit, due to them not having exclusivity, and withhold the 25 percent of slot revenue shared, which is roughly a cool $250 million per year. If the Native exclusivity holds strong and sports betting is deemed to be a casino game, then the off-track betting parlors will sue.

Again, we can see all of this action happening, including proposed bills, passed gaming packages, etc., but all of this potential for lawsuits and lost money make it nearly impossible to make any forward progress.

4) What are the Most Popular Teams to Bet on in North Dakota?

Connecticut doesn’t have one of the four major professional American sports teams in the state, but it does have a ton of clout in the collegiate ranks. The UConn basketball programs have stellar track records and a shelf full of NCAA Tournament titles.

Most of the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL fandom goes to the neighboring New England area teams, much like Vermont.

However, in golf, the Travelers Championship is a PGA Tour event held at the TPC River Highlands course just outside of Hartford.

5) Is There Anything Else to Know About North Dakota Sports Betting?

Connecticut’s two Native tribes — Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan — were given exclusivity over the state’s casino games 27 years ago. In return, the casinos pay the state 25 percent of their slot revenues, which has equaled nearly $9 billion over this term. Clearly, it would be in the state’s best interest to continue giving the Natives their exclusivity in the gaming industry, as slots are by far the largest money maker, even if sports betting was legalized.

George Henningsen, of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Gaming Commission, estimates the state would be making roughly $15 million per year by legalizing sports betting within the state. This is why Henningsen feels it would not be worth it, since the state would be risking roughly $250 million per year from their slot revenues by disrupting the Native’s gaming exclusivity.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t really look good. All we can do is sit back and see what the Connecticut legislature does regarding these lawsuits and which direction that can go. There has been plenty of interest expressed in getting this passed quickly, so we could be seeing more news pop up any day.

What are the Most Common Types of Bets I Can Make in Connecticut?

Straight bet

This is the most common bet type and it is just a straight up single bet on a game. A point spread is determined by the oddsmakers with one team being favored by a certain amount of points. Let’s take a look at an example line below to give a clear indication of what a straight bet would be:

Boston Celtics -6.5 (-110), moneyline -320

at Cleveland Cavaliers +6.5 (-110), moneyline +260

O/U 206

The Celtics are favored by 6.5 points in this example. This means that if you bet the Cavaliers, you are getting 6.5 points, so if the Cavaliers win the game, or lose by fewer than seven points, you will win the bet because of your 6.5-point cushion. On the other side, when you are laying 6.5 points as the favorite, you would need the Celtics to win by seven or more to win the bet.

Final Score: Celtics 102 Cavaliers 98. Cavaliers would cover even though the Celtics won the game because the +6.5 point spread is enough to cover a four-point defeat.

Moneyline Bet

The moneyline is a bet where there is no spread; you are just picking the winner of the game. In the example above, the Cavaliers ML is +260, which means that for every $100 wagered, you win $260 if the Cavaliers win the game outright. They receive the plus side of the moneyline since they are the underdog and picking them rewards you with nice odds since they are projected to likely lose the game. On the flip side, if you bet the Celtics ML at -320, you have to bet $320 to win $100. They are the favorites so if you decide to bet the moneyline instead of the point spread, you are forced to bet additional money to win $100.

In the example above, the Celtics ML would be the winner as they won the game outright. The spread is irrelevant for a moneyline wager.

Over/Under

This is a straight bet wagering on how many total combined points will be scored in a game by both teams. For example, an NBA game may have an over/under of 210 points, which means that the oddsmakers are projecting a combined points total of 210 between the two teams. If you think the teams are going to score more than 210 points total, you bet the over, and conversely, if you think it’s going to be a defensive struggle, you can bet the under hoping that the total points scored equals 209 points or less.

Parlay

A parlay is a bet where you combine multiple bets into one bet and you get increased odds because you only win your parlay wager if all of your bets win. If you do a three-team parlay, you select three different teams from three different games and if you win all three of the bets you hit your parlay for longshot odds (6-1 so $100 to win $600). Going 0/3, 1/3, or 2/3 is all the same and you lose the parlay bet. It’s all or nothing which makes them tough to hit and is more of a home run type bet than a regular straight bet since there’s a chance for a big payoff.

Connecticut Sports Betting FAQs