Connecticut Online Casinos

Connecticut Online Casinos and Sweepstakes

Online gambling in Connecticut

In Connecticut, we find yet another case of a state effectively turning a blind eye to all forms of online gambling. Even though no legislation on the matter exists, there have been rumors of the state House being willing to legalize various forms of iGaming.

One significant reason to believe these rumblings is the fact that the well-established tribal casinos, Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods, are exceeding expectations on a yearly basis. Officials are delighted by the tax money pouring in, so they were willing to approve the much-anticipated third land-based casino license.

Many see this as a step towards the full legal recognition of online gambling. Not too long ago, a bill legalizing DFS has been fast, which industry experts took as a sign that sports betting is coming.

With so much revenue at stake, some politicians are said to have instructed the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection to draw up a legal framework for sports betting. Online casinos are, presumably, next in line.

For the time being, online gambling remains unlicensed in the Nutmeg State. Many think that internet gambling is coming to Connecticut and that it is highly likely that the state will regulate online poker first. How soon will this happen, no one knows for sure. Foxwoods Resort Casino recently partnered up with PariPlay in 2018 which is supposed to introduce real-money online gambling on the premises.

On the other hand, the Connecticut 2018 legislative session ended without any action taken on issues of sports betting and online lottery. That means that there will be no changes in these aspects at least until the lawmakers reconvene next year. Gambling history in Connecticut

History

Connecticut is the homeland of many Indians, which means there were gambling in the territory long before it was settled and turned into one of the states. Connecticut legalized charitable bingo activities in 1939 and that’s when legal gambling started The Constitution State. Due to its tribal history, the area came to benefit from tribal casinos, but estimations are that there would be very little gambling at all in the state if it weren’t for the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

The lottery was authorized 1971, at the same time the legislature legalized pari-mutuel wagering. The sales of lottery tickets began the following year, and also Jai alai and dog racing were added. There was a period in the 1970s and 80s when casino nights or Las Vegas nights, featuring casino games like blackjack and roulette, were organized within the realm of charitable gaming, but in the early 2000s, these initiatives were shut down. A bingo hall started on the Mashantucket Pequot Indian Reservation in 1986 and grew to be Foxwoods, the now internationally known casino establishment and one of the biggest casino resorts in the world. Both Foxwoods and the other Connecticut tribal casino have the important ability to sustain their clientele because Connecticut is the third smallest state and their services are available to the entire population almost. They do not require long drives from big cities in the neighborhood like New York City or Boston.

Land based casinos

There may be only two land-based casinos in Connecticut, but the truth is they are massive. The most prominent brick and mortar casino in The Constitution State is Foxwoods Resort Casino. The venue was once the largest casino on the planet, covering an area of 9,000,000 sq. ft. The complex is located in Ledyard and owned by the by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. Foxwoods was founded in 1986 in form of a high-stakes bingo hall on reservation land. The Mashantucket Pequot Tribe had to battle the state to gain rights to operate a full-blown casino and the agreement was finally signed in 1993. That was when Foxwoods added table games and slot machines. The tribe agreed to pay 25 percent of the slot revenue to the state in exchange for state protection and prohibition of any venues owning gaming machines outside of tribal gaming.

Foxwoods Resort Casino comes with an outrageous list of amenities. It includes four separate hotels, each reputed to be AAA Four Diamond-certified. The fifth one can be reached by shuttle in a matter of minutes. Foxwoods offers 35 restaurants and high-end boutiques within the Tanger Outlet Mall. Shows held at the property cover all genres, from music to comedy, and there are also a golf course, spa and pool. Foxwoods has a poker room which runs poker games of varying stakes (over 110 tables), it features more than 6,300 slots, a 5,000-seat bingo hall, roulette, blackjack, Sic Bo, Pai Gow, craps, keno, money wheel and more than 60 tracks of dog racing and horse racing.

Connecticut’s other casino venue is Mohegan Sun in Uncasville. It is run by the Mohegan Tribe, and covers 364,000 square feet of gambling space. Mohegan Sun offers over 40 restaurants, hotel accommodation, over 30 shopping locations, more than 6,000 slots and 300 tables (poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, Caribbean Stud Poker, keno and baccarat) and a variety of other amenities (concerts, boxing matches).

A third casino was announced and the plans for it to be built in East Windsor are underway. It will be jointly owned by the two Connecticut tribes, the Mohegan and the Pequot.

Neighbouring States: Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island

Top Connecticut Casino Slots and Games

References

[1] Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Gaming Commission

[2] Connecticut Lottery

[3] Online gambling - are players at risk of prosecution?

[4] American Gaming Association - https://www.americangaming.org