(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont is applauding a bipartisan vote in the Connecticut State Senate last night giving final legislative approval to a bill that will legalize online gaming and sports wagering in Connecticut. The legislation, which was approved last week by the House of Representatives and will next be transmitted to the governor for his signature, comes as a result of an agreement the Lamont administration reached earlier this year with the Mohegan Tribe and Mashantucket Pequot Tribe.
Governor Lamont said that he plans to sign the bill in the coming days. Following that, the Lamont administration and the tribes will seek approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of Interior to amend the state’s compact with the tribes. The federal agency needs to approve the changes to the compact before online gaming and sports wagering can begin in the state.
“I want to congratulate and thank the Connecticut General Assembly for approving historic legislation, negotiated by my office, which modernizes Connecticut’s gaming landscape,” Governor Lamont said. “I also want to thank our tribal partners, the Mohegan Tribe and Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, for their constructive and collaborative efforts, both in negotiating the agreement and working through the details of this legislation. 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.”
The legislation is House Bill 6451, An Act Concerning the Authorization, Licensing and Regulation of Online Casino Gaming, Retail and Online Sports Wagering, Fantasy Contests, Keno and Online Sale of Lottery Tickets.