Sportech PLC has announced it has signed a 10-year commercial deal with the Connecticut Lottery Corporation. As a result, sports betting is now permitted outside of two existing tribal casinos in the state.
The deal
The Connecticut Lottery Corporation confirmed the deal will include a minimum of $170 million (£123 million) across a 10-year period.
They also selected Rush Street Interactive to operate its online sports betting operations. This will enable them to deliver sports betting across its retail estate. They will also promote the Connecticut Lottery Corporation’s online and mobile channels.
Sportech CEO, Richard McGuire, believes the move was a long time coming: “Our customers have been demanding sports betting for many years and we are delighted to be part of the CLC team, bringing our proven locations, expertise and licensed betting professionals to support CLC in delivering an exciting sports betting product across the retail network and promoting their online and mobile channel.”
Connecticut Lottery Corporation Chairman, Rob Simmelkjaer, added: “We are very excited to partner with Sportech to bring retail sports betting to all corners of the state of Connecticut. Their existing locations and licensed staff will allow us to get to market quickly with RSI’s retail offering, and we look forward to working with them as we ramp up retail sports betting around the state.”
A history of sports betting in Connecticut
Connecticut only introduced sports betting in May this year. The decision came after the General Assembly agreed to a three-way revenue-sharing pact between Governor Ned Lamont, the Mashantucket Pequots, and the Mohegan Tribal Nation. The Bureau of Indian Affairs is yet to sign the agreement.
The Mashantucket Pequots have selected DraftKings to operate its sports betting operations whilst the Mohegan Tribal Nation opted for FanDuel.
