The sportsbook, which is spearheaded by Fanatics Holdings Inc., a multi-billion sports apparel business, is pushing hard to claw share away from established betting and gaming companies in the market.
Soft Launch with 2,000 Players On
The latest move includes Connecticut, following a similar launch in Colorado, where the retail and online sports betting operations have been launched as the company assesses the local market and prepares for to pose and meet serious competition.
The company operates under a license issued by the Connecticut Lottery Corporation and has set a limit of 2,000 online customers it can accept during its soft launch, with the full launch to take place on Monday, December 18.
Fanatics is also the exclusive partner of the CLC for the regulator-cum-operator’s retail locations. The sportsbook will be available in ten locations, and it will also be the official odds provider for the CT Lottery’s sports betting locations.
Nutmeg State residents could bet from 3 pm through 11 pm on Tuesday, from 12 am to 12 pm on Wednesday and Thursday, and the entire day from Friday to Sunday. Connecticut is also the ninth state where the company is present.
It’s also going up against DraftKings and FanDuel. Interestingly, the company is going to compete against this exact pair in Vermont as well, which has confirmed the launch of its sports gambling industry in 2024.
Connecticut Lottery Confident in Its Bid
Connecticut Lottery president and CEO Greg Smith was similarly pleased with this development and hailed the success of the company:
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.
Connecticut Lottery president and CEO Greg Smith
Fanatics Sportsbook also replaced PlaySugarHouse as the exclusive partner to the CT Lottery this Monday, with the latter company ceasing operations at lottery venues and passing the baton onto the new partner instead. Fanatics now provides odds for college football, basketball, hockey, baseball, tennis, soccer, golf, MMA, and boxing.