Connecticut – Expanding Online Gambling All at Once
More than 30 of the 39 U.S. states that have legalized sports betting so far have elected not to do the same regarding online casino gaming.
Of the few that do allow it, most have begun with sports betting and then followed up a year or two later with approval of iGaming.
Connecticut was an exception, however, legalizing both forms of mobile gambling in the same bill that passed in May 2021. Five months later, the new industries launched simultaneously.
The state's Lottery Corporation oversees mobile sports betting, while the operators of the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos - the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribe, respectively - run the state's iGaming industry.
Connecticut sports betting numbers still rising
In the four full years of legal sports betting in Connecticut, the trend has been consistent: the betting "handle" - or the total money wagered - goes up each year.
There is another trend, too - the "hold" rate, or the amount of money retained by the sportsbooks after paying out winning bets - keeps going up as well.
In 2022, the sportsbooks held a modest 8.9%, or $135.5 million, on a total of $1.52 billion wagered. Then in 2023, the hold rate climbed to 10.1% - meaning revenue of $174.8 million versus a betting handle of $1.76 billion.
The hold rate inched ahead further to 10.3% in 2024, so that $224.6 million was retained out of $2.19 billion in bets placed.
The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection also has released final figures for 2025, and the hold rate went up again - to 11.3%. That left the state sportsbook industry retaining $263.1 million out of the $2.34 billion wagered by Connecticut residents (and visitors).
The best hold rate for sportsbooks in 2025 was in the month of December, with a remarkable 13.4% figure as the fall football season started to wind down. Only May 2023, at 13.6%, bettered that hold rate in the state.
Bettors, on the other hand, cashed in all but 7.9% of their wagers in March - mirroring a nationwide trend as favorites won every game in the final four rounds of the "March Madness" men's college basketball tournament.
There are only three legal sportsbooks in Connecticut - significantly fewer than most states. Bettors can find these sportsbooks in at retail locations at Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, plus a dozen retail sports betting sites at off-track wagering locations, bars, and restaurants across the state.
Online casino play is king in Connecticut
As is true in the other states with both iGaming and sports betting, the former dominates in Connecticut.
Data from state regulators for the most recent Fiscal Year (July 2024 through June 2025) revealed total online casino gaming took in a combined $537.4 million in revenue - compared to $223.9 million for sports betting.
The numbers would be significantly higher, of course, if Connecticut regulators allowed for a robust competitive iGaming market as is the case in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
Still, two sportsbooks alone tend to capture a combined majority of all online casino play even in those states. That presumably is enough to satisfy most Connecticut residents who like to unwind with a little iGaming action.
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