US federals issue approval of Mashantucket's compact for Connecticut sports betting

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs revealed Monday that the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe’s amended gaming settlement with the state of Connecticut was approved, taking a step forward in the process of launching sports wagering activities and online casino gaming. 

The notice of the approval appeared in Monday’s version of the Federal Register, which means the Mashantucket’s gaming modification took effect on September 10. 

The BIA discovered the approval of the Mohegan Tribe’s amended gaming settlement with the state on September 15, which now has federal authorization to offer online and on-site sports wagering and online casino gaming in the state of Connecticut.

Sport betting activities in Connecticut are scheduled to start on October 7. On-site wagering on the Mashantuckets’ Foxwoods Resort Casino and the Mohegans’ Mohegan Sun may start sooner. 

Each tribe and the Connecticut Lottery Corp. will present each on-site and online sports betting activities. The tribal state amendments also authorize the tribes to offer both online and on-site casino gaming.Those will be the three sole entities allowed to offer sports wagering in the state. The lottery cannot offer iGaming.

The Mohegans have partnered with FanDuel, while the Mashantucket Pequots have an agreement with DraftKings. The Connecticut Lottery selected last month Rush Street Interactive as its partner.

Before operations can launch, the state’s Department of Consumer Protection must first issue licenses to the three entities and oversee an independent audit of their online applications to ensure they comply with regulations.

The Department of Consumer Protection aims at having a “smooth” opening throughout the state, as the state Division of Client Safety will check all methods. On Monday, the entity and the state government launched a website where individuals can sign up to enter a self-exclusion list.