RSI and the Connecticut Lottery Corporation to wind down their sports betting partnership

Online gaming and sports betting operator Rush Street Interactive and the Connecticut Lottery Corporation have announced a joint plan to wind down their online and in-person sports betting partnership in Connecticut. The CLC will begin the process of pursuing a new operator through a request for proposals in the coming days. 

RSI will continue to operate online and in-person sports betting in the state on behalf of the CLC until a replacement is selected, the company said in a statement. RSI and the CLC currently expect to transition the existing sports betting operations during the second half of 2023. 

Players on the PlaySugarHouse.com online platform or at any of the nine Connecticut retail locations "can be confident that any wagers placed will continue to be valid and all wins will continue to be paid out appropriately." 

RSI said it will continue to work closely with the CLC to minimize any potential disruptions to players or business partners as the operation is wound down. 

Gregory Smith, President of the CLC, commented: “We thank RSI for working closely with CLC to establish the foundation for CLC’s sports betting operation, both online and in retail.”

Richard Schwartz

Richard Schwartz, CEO of RSI, said: “We thanked the CLC for their partnership over the last two years. We are proud of what we have accomplished together in Connecticut and have enjoyed the relationships that we have built with the players.”

“Consistent with our long-term strategic goals, after much deliberation and discussions with the CLC, we believe it is in the best interest of RSI and our stockholders to wind down this relationship,” he added. 

RSI’s CEO noted that both companies remain “committed to putting our players first,” and explained that through the transition the companies plan “to continue to support all player wagers and ensure a positive player experience and expect the changeover will have an immaterial impact on our guidance for 2023.”

PlaySugarHouse.com and the Connecticut retail sports betting location will continue to operate as normal until a replacement operator is found, at which point operations will be transitioned to the new operator. Players will still be able to withdraw any wins and wagers with RSI while it continues to operate normally.