‘Connecticut Approves Online Casinos and Sports Betting!’ (Image Source: pixabay.com)
Another US state has quickly moved forward to confirm that online casino regulations and sports betting will soon become a reality. Connecticut will become the sixth US state to introduce an online casino framework and the ninth to introduce online sports betting. This leaves the doors open for large live casino software manufacturers already operating in the US to consider another state to do business in a market that has 3.5 million people!
The first iGaming website as well as sports betting to become available at the Mohegan Sun Foxwoods casino. The deal follows the same pattern as all other states with online gambling regulations stating that the website operates must operate from a data centre within a land-based casino that already has a state gambling licence.
Connecticut Governor, Ned Lamont, was instrumental in pushing through a change required on the Mohegan Tribe’s Class III gaming compact to include online gambling. The original deal will last 10 years and there is an option to extend it a further 5 years.
Taxation Agreement: Within the bill, the conditions state the tribe will pay a 20% tax on all iGaming revenues and players are to pay 13.75% tax on sports bets wins!
DraftKings is likely to become the first well-known US brand name in the state to open its virtual doors as the firm previously made an agreement with Foxwoods before Governor Ned Lamont confirmed a deal is now in place. Whether we will see a live studio in the state is not known, but it is now yet another option for the likes of Playtech Live, Ezugi, and Evolution to break into another up-and-coming iGaming market in the USA.
7 States With iGaming & 6 With Online Casino Legislation!
To date, Nevada allows online poker only in the shape of iGaming, while New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Michigan all have online casino and poker licensing in place. That makes it 6 states in total with iGaming, while only 5 out of those 6 allow online casinos to operate as Nevada still has no intention of creating an online casino license.
Adding Nebraska and Connecticut into the framework will mean the US will have 8 states with iGaming available. However, only Connecticut out of the 2 states in question will allow online casinos. Meanwhile, Indiana already has a bill submitted for iGaming and is awaiting approval, and North Dakota is already preparing to come online with poker and sports betting.
15 US States with Online Sports Betting Soon!
As for online sport betting in the US, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Washington D.C, and West Virginia all allow online sports betting making it legal to bet online in a total of 14 states each with slightly different rules, but all the same mobile and online sports betting is available. Even though Delaware allows online casinos, the state still only allows sports betting in person.
The number of US states with online sports betting will rise to 15 with Connecticut officials already confirming online sports betting will also be available along with iGaming! Nebraska does not likely, which we cover the state’s recent bill below, while we are still waiting on news from Kentucky and Oklahoma. There has been some news that Kentucky’s bill may not pass, but as always, this is just hearsay and as the famous saying goes ‘It’s not over until the fat lady sings!’
Convincing Vote in Favour of Sports Betting & Online Keno in Nebraska
Nebraska will technically become the eighth US state to allow iGaming, but only via online Keno. The news came after the second Nebraska Legislature session in which the vote came in with an overwhelming majority of 37 to 5 in favour of the ‘Legislative Bill 561’ to bring sports betting licenses into land-based casinos.
It seemed inevitable as last November the Senate approved to move forward with plans for a second vote.
As a result, the state will now create the Nebraska Gaming Commission. Eventually, the Nebraska State Racing Commission will come under the wing of the Gaming Commission to keep all betting licensing under one roof. It’s quite a complex setup, but it could mean the state is also a step closer to coming online, considering the wide gap between ‘for’ and ‘against’.
However, we are unlikely to see online casinos in the state for at least another 5 years!
Measures included in the bill are:
- Players must be 21 or over
- Casino games allowed at horse racetracks
- Sports betting permitted in casinos
- No betting on high school sports events
- Bettors need to go through tough background checks
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