The newest online sportsbook in the Nutmeg State is now live and taking bets from a limited number of customers.
Fanatics Betting and Gaming announced on Tuesday that it is “soft” launching retail and online sports betting in Connecticut through its recently announced partnership with the Connecticut Lottery Corp.
The trial run for mobile wagering means Fanatics Sportsbook — the betting arm of merchandise giant Fanatics — will accept only 2,000 online customers this week ahead of a full launch planned for Monday, Dec. 18.
Those customers can only wager at certain times, too, at least to begin, starting with 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. of availability on Tuesday, then 12 to 12 on Wednesday and Thursday, and then 24 hours from Friday to Sunday.
Fanatics Sportsbook is "soft" launching in-person and online sports betting today in Connecticut through its partnership with the state lottery. For this week, Fanatics says it will accept 2,000 online customers ahead of a "full" launch on Monday, Dec. 18. pic.twitter.com/NsHC90OmPw
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) December 12, 2023
Connecticut will be the ninth state for Fanatics Sportsbook, which is taking the reins from PlaySugarHouse, the CT Lottery’s previous partner and a distant third in market share in the state behind its two other online sports betting sites, DraftKings and FanDuel.
“We have been impressed with the Fanatics team, their aggressive entry into the U.S. sports betting market, and we are excited to see how they redefine the sports betting customer experience here in Connecticut,” said Greg Smith, CT Lottery president and CEO, in a recent press release. “CLC anticipates notable market share growth as a result of this partnership.”
So long, sugar
PlaySugarHouse stopped taking bets and deposits from Connecticut sports betting customers on Monday. The Rush Street Interactive Inc.-owned bookmaker said it will honor existing futures bets that settle on or before Super Bowl Sunday 2024, including wagers placed on the Big Game itself.
Futures that settle after Feb. 11 will be voided and the stake refunded to customers. PlaySugarHouse users will have until Feb. 19 to log on and withdraw their funds from their mobile accounts; after that, any remaining balances will be sent to customers via check.
Fanatics is also taking over 10 of the CT Lottery’s retail locations from PlaySugarHouse.
“Fanatics Sportsbook will be the official odds provider for all CT Lottery retail sports betting locations and offer legal betting markets for all major sports including professional and college football, basketball, hockey, baseball, alongside tennis, soccer, golf, MMA and boxing,” Monday’s press release noted. “The development and trading of sports betting markets will be done in-house at Fanatics Betting and Gaming and supported by a number of world-class trading suppliers.”
