Connecticut Senate Okays Gaming Expansion Bill

On Tuesday, May 25th, just before the clock struck midnight, the State Senate of Connecticut approved legislation that allows gaming expansion. The measure passed by an overwhelming majority of 28 – 8, with two legislators choosing to abstain from taking the vote.  

The draft law has now been forwarded to Governor Ned Lamont, who is expected to sign it off in the coming days. However, even with the governor’s signature, one more authorization stage from the US Department of Interior (DoI) will remain before the bill can formally become law. Following the Senate’s approval, the governor welcomed the good news and applauded the cross-party vote saying:

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“This is a significant moment for our state as, for the first time, we will allow sports wagering, online casino gaming, and entry of the Connecticut Lottery Corporation into this space. I look forward to signing this legislation into law, which is in the best interests of the State of Connecticut and its citizens.”

Homestretch After Lengthy Back and Forth With The Connecticut Tribes

The Senate’s go-ahead marks the culmination of lengthy negotiations that Gov. Lamont had with the two federally recognized Native American tribes in the state – the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribal nation. The governor had first penned a deal with the Mohegan Tribe in early March, but the duo had to go back to the drawing board to iron out a few grievances voiced by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe.

After all the three parties finally saw eye to eye towards the end of March, the tribal-state compact was then passed on to the lawmakers who have been discussing it for weeks. Finally, come May 20th, House Bill 6451, the draft gaming expansion bill that itemized the tribal-state gaming compact, received fast-tracked approval by a joint legislative committee. Hours later, Connecticut’s House gave it the OK via a 122 – 21 majority vote. From there, the bill was handed over to the Senate.

On Wednesday, the morning after the Senate’s near-unanimous approval, The Mohegan Tribe released a statement saying:

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“By modernizing our gaming industry in these ways, Connecticut will keep pace with neighboring states, protecting Connecticut jobs, generating tax revenues to the benefit of both state and local municipal budgets, as well as our tribe’s members. This is not just a regional issue — it will have a statewide impact as Connecticut works to meet critical needs as it recovers from the pandemic. We’re excited for Governor Lamont to sign this bill into law, and we look forward to continued partnership with him and with the General Assembly to continue moving Connecticut’s economy forward.”

US States Charging Full Speed Ahead Towards Gaming Expansion

After Governor Lamont’s signature and the DoI’s green light, the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes and the Connecticut lottery will be given the mandate to start running sports betting, fantasy sports, and online gaming in the state. According to the bill, The Connecticut lottery will also be running online lottery and online Keno games. Additionally, it will have the liberty to operate up to 15 casino gaming and sports betting facilities.

In exchange, the tribes and the state Lottery will be paying taxes to the state, with this agreement open for renewability every five years. The state expects to gain up to over $35 million annually upon market maturity from the taxes. Further, the Lottery will have to donate $1 million to problem gambling programs in the state, whereas each tribe will put in $500k to bring their total to $1 million.

From what some lawmakers are saying, the timeline for the launch of the expanded gaming market in The Nutmeg State is around September.

This month has indeed been a busy one for legislators and oversight bodies in different US states. A week ago, Nebraska legislators also passed a legal casino and sports betting bill,  and it is now waiting for Gov. Ricketts’ signature. In the same week, Florida’s House and Senate chamber also okayed a new tribal-state gaming expansion compact with the state’s Seminole Native American Tribe.

Maryland was also another state whose legal gaming expansion process saw some movement last week after Gov. Hogan signed a sports betting bill into law. As for this week, apart from Connecticut, Arizona’s gaming expansion pursuit also received some good news after the DoI ratified the state’s tribal-state compact.