PlaySugarHouse in New Haven

Connecticut Lottery and Gov. open first commercial retail sportsbook with RSI

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont placed the first bet on Monday at Sports Haven.
2021-10-26
Reading time 3:57 min
Gov. Ned Lamont on Monday placed the inaugural bet at the Sports Haven retail sportsbook, which is one of the 15 locations that have been authorized by the government for RSI's PlaySugarHouse to accept bets. In the coming days, sportsbooks at Bobby V's Restaurant & Sports Bar in Stamford and Winsor Locks will open and begin taking wagers. The retail expansion follows the tribal launch last month, and statewide online rollout earlier this month.

The Connecticut Lottery Corporation, Rush Street Interactive (RSI) and Sportech announced Monday the official launch of in-person sports betting at the first of 15 PlaySugarHouse retail sportsbooks in Connecticut. Players are now able to place bets at Sports Haven in New Haven. 

In the coming days, the retail sportsbooks at Bobby V’s Restaurant & Sports Bar locations in Stamford and Windsor Locks will open and begin accepting bets. 

The celebration of the launch of the official sportsbook of the Connecticut Lottery involved representatives of CT Lottery, RSI and Sportech as well as several state and local officials and other guests gathered at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Sports Haven on Monday. Governor Ned Lamont was present at the opening and placed a $20 bet on the Giants to beat the Chiefs. 

“It’s about so much more than this, it’s about bringing this facility to life,” Lamont said, gesturing around Sports Haven. It’s part of bringing our cities back to life, one more reason to visit New Haven and one more reason to visit Connecticut.”

The new PlaySugarHouse sportsbooks will offer a full suite of entertainment options, including wall-to-wall TV monitors, odds boards, food and beverage menus, and now the opportunity for fans to wager on their favorite sports, leagues and players. Eligible bettors 21 and over will be able to place a wide array of bets on various professional and collegiate sports, including parlays, prop bets and in-game bets, through self-service kiosks as well as staffed teller stations.

In addition to betting in-person, Connecticut players can now bet online using RSI’s platform from their mobile devices, tablets, desktop and laptop computers. The CT.PlaySugarHouse.com online sportsbook includes thousands of betting options, a broad selection of live streaming content, bonusing and rewards programs, numerous deposit methods, automated cash-out approvals, and user-friendly responsible gaming tools, including deposit, spend and time limits.

The PlaySugarHouse retail sportsbooks will expand to seven additional Sportech locations in Hartford, Manchester, Waterbury, Torrington, New Britain, Milford, and Norwalk throughout the coming weeks. The Connecticut Lottery and RSI are authorized to operate up to 15 PlaySugarHouse retail sports wagering locations, most of which will be within an approximately 30-minute drive for most Connecticut residents.

Greg Smith, President and CEO of the Connecticut Lottery Corporation said: “This has been a long time coming for Connecticut players, and we’re honored to be the only statewide retail operator. Together with our partners Rush Street Interactive and Sportech Venues, we can offer bettors world-class, in-person sportsbooks at accessible locations throughout the state and mobile sports betting under the PlaySugarHouse brand.”

Connecticut Lottery Corporation Board Chair Rob Simmelkjaer added: “We also want to acknowledge that this day would not have been possible without the tireless and collaborative work on the part of Governor Lamont, his staff, and our Legislative leaders. Their efforts led to a deal that benefits all of Connecticut.”

Richard Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer of RSI, commented: “We are thrilled to roll out the PlaySugarHouse retail sportsbooks in the state of Connecticut alongside the Connecticut Lottery and Sportech. By combining the Connecticut Lottery’s brand recognition and retail presence throughout Connecticut, Sportech’s easy-to-access venues, and RSI’s market proven products and services, we look forward to delivering convenient and exciting sports betting options to PlaySugarHouse players across the state.”

Ted Taylor, President of Sportech Venues, Inc, concluded: “Today marks a historic day for sports betting fans in Connecticut as the PlaySugarHouse sportsbook launches in New Haven. Our Sportech team is delighted to be Connecticut Lottery’s and RSI’s partner for delivering this exciting product here and in all our other locations soon.”

Rush Street Interactive and the Connecticut Lottery had already started their operations in the state back on October 13, when PlaySugarHouse had its soft launch of online sports wagering through its app. For a week, PlaySugarHouse provided its service to a limited 750-account audience across Connecticut, having its full launch on October 19 after a successful performance during that “trial” week. 

As for sports betting retail verticals, the scheduled date for its launch was originally October 7 and was delayed after the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection announced that the publication of the memorandums of understanding had suffered a setback in the process, pushing back the entire launch.

Connecticut in-person sports betting has been live since Thursday, September 30 at the state's two tribal casinos, after Governor Ned Lamont placed the first legal bet in the state’s history at the temporary FanDuel sportsbook at the Mohegan Sun Casino. It was a $50 wager on the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun.

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