DraftKings and the Pequots Announce Sportsbook Launch

US sports betting operator DraftKings and its tribal partner, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, announced today their partnership would launch retail sports betting at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut starting tomorrow, September 30, 2021.

DraftKings Sportsbook Opens Tomorrow

The launch will see the temporary DraftKings Sportsbook located at the Ultimate Race Book in Rainmaker Casino, as well as betting kiosks located across the property, begin accepting player bets, while off-reservation online wagering on sport and online casino games would be coming in early October, pending regulatory approval.

“We’re thrilled to join the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation in bringing a holistic and delightful sports betting experience for customers in Connecticut,” asserted Matt Kalish, Co-Founder and President, DraftKings North America. “By leveraging the Tribe’s expertise in developing and operating one of the largest resort casinos in the world, we are excited to bring new offerings for consumers in The Constitution State.”

The temporary DraftKings Sportsbook will accept player bets on a variety of betting markets from professional and collegiate sports, both in-person and via kiosks, until the permanent facility, which is currently in the final stages of its construction, becomes operational in the coming weeks.

New Era for Connecticut

Hailing a new era for the tribe, sports fans and guests of the Foxwoods casino and state residents, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Chairman Rodney Butler thanked Governor Lamont and his administration, as well as lawmakers and regulators, for their efforts to make legal sports betting possible and help gaming expansion in Connecticut.

Their collaboration and hard work [have] allowed trusted gaming operators like our Tribe and DraftKings to help lead innovation across Connecticut. With NFL season in full force, it’s game on, and we look forward to a successful launch.”

Rodney Butler, Chairman, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

DraftKings and the Mashantucket Pequots announced their partnership to bring retail and online sports betting, gambling and daily fantasy sports (DFS) to Foxwoods Resort Casino in July. The agreement was under a multi-channel deal DraftKings and the tribe from Connecticut signed in December last year in anticipation of legal sports betting in the state. Under that deal, DraftKings was named Official Daily Fantasy Sports Partner of the Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Also in July, DraftKings’ main DFS rival FanDuel entered into an agreement with Mohegan Sun to bring retail, online and mobile sports betting, as well as iGaming, to the Uncasville casino operated by the tribe. So far, there is no information on when the pair will launch its retail sportsbook operations.

The Connecticut Lottery Corporation (CLC), the third major player in the state’s sports betting that will operate up to 15 retail locations in partnership with Rush Street Interactive and its PlaySugarHouse Sportsbook brand, has not announced a launch date either.