Connecticut Sports Betting May Not Have Governors Immediate Support, Left Out Of Budget

HARTFORD, Conn. – Sports bettors in Connecticut may be in for a longer wait than they expected to see sportsbooks in their home state. Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced his initial budget on Wednesday, but did not include sports gambling as an immediate revenue stream.

Instead, Governor Lamont focused on raising taxes on various goods and indicated that this expansion of gaming may come in a later time. “Beyond the two-year budget, we must enact new sources of revenues, such as sports betting and internet wagering,” he said.

This announcement comes counter to the promises he made during his campaign. Leading up to the election Lamont had proposed using the revenue generated by sports betting to restore a local property credit program for seniors who own homes.

“We’re going to get that passed, we’re going to pass that early,” he said. 

Although, Connecticut already partially legalized sports wagering in 2017 and is more so just waiting on regulations to be enacted. The sports betting place holder bill CT S 665, which was introduced by nine senators, may be able to do just that.

With a $3.2 billion deficit and political pressure expected around this topic, state officials will have much to negotiate before the session ends on June 9.