NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTIC Radio) - With a ribbon-cutting and a bet on the New York Giants, Governor Ned Lamont, the Connecticut Lottery and other state officials launched retail sports betting in New Haven Monday.
After a soft launch earlier this month, the Connecticut Lottery celebrated the official launch of online and retail sports betting at its first retail location: Sports Haven Bar & Grille.
It's the first of 15 retail sports betting locations that the Connecticut Lottery will be operating, as per the legislation that authorized sports betting in Connecticut in May.
Between Tuesday and Wednesday, retail locations will be opening up in Stamford and Windsor Locks at Bobby V's Restaurant and Sports Bar, Connecticut Lottery officials said.
"By the end of November, we plan to have our Play Sugar House Sportsbook operating in 10 different Sportech locations. Additionally, [the Connecticut Lottery Corporation] is working on more locations to follow those," Connecticut Lottery President Greg Smith said.
Besides Bobby V's and Sports Haven, the Connecticut Lottery has partnered with Connecticut-based Sportech to offer sports betting at the Winners locations in Hartford, Manchester, Milford, New Britain, Norwalk, Torrington and Waterbury.
"One of our goals is to allow Connecticut residents who want to bet in person on sports to do so within a 30 minute drive of their home, and once we have opened up all of these locations, we will be very close to making that a reality," Chairman of the Connecticut Lottery Board of Directors Rob Simmelkjaer said.
The Corporation is also working with Rush Street Interactive to operate sports betting through PlaySugarHouse.