Both Louisiana and Connecticut have made headlines in the past two weeks, as their respective Tribal casinos unveiled legal sports betting to the public.
Tribal Casinos Launch Sports Betting
Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun and Foxwood casinos hosted extravagant events in celebration of this milestone for the state. Kicking off with a September 30th ribbon-cutting ceremony with Governor Ned Lamont, sports bettors got a sneak peek of what the rest of the year has in store.
Less than a week later, Louisiana sports betting went live at the Paragon Casino Resort. High anticipations made for a high turn-out when the casino opened its doors on Wednesday.
“Our sports bar that connects with The Draft Room has been open since April, and our guests have been calling every day to ask when the sportsbook is opening,” – General Manager, Marshall Sampson Sr.
These openings are huge victories for patrons and operators who have been fighting in favor of state-licensed sports betting for years. However, residents in both of these states will have to wait a bit longer until commercial betting options become available.
Delays Plague Connecticut
Connecticut bettors were planning on an October 7th launch for commercial sportsbooks. However, these plans would not come to fruition. The news broke on Wednesday, just one day before the projected launch.
Unfortunately, the state has yet to set another launch date as progress on the matter differs by the day. While it is wise of Connecticut to set delays as long as necessary to secure a safe and successful launch, the state has struggled with maintaining transparency.
Keeping bettors in the dark on these matters is unfair and stands to hurt the state-licensed market when operations can, in fact, go live.
Hurricane Ida Hurts Louisiana Betting
Nonetheless, Connecticut bettors aren’t alone in their plight. Commercial betting in Louisiana has hit yet another roadblock as a result of Hurricane Ida.
Louisiana has now cycled through three different launch dates for sports betting. Because of this recurrent disappointment, state officials have opted to remain silent in regards to any official sports betting timeline.
Both states ushered in emergency rules to launch state-licensed sportsbooks as quickly as possible. However, it now seems that these efforts backfired severely.
Because of the devastation left by Hurricane Ida, Louisiana gaming officials deserve some slack. No one could have anticipated the severity of the storm and weather is one of those things that is completely out of anyone’s control.
On the other hand, Connecticut gaming officials have some explaining to do. Yes, sports bettors have access to retail betting through the Mohegan Sun and Foxwood Casinos. Even so, bettors were promised commercial options by the 7th.
Connecticut bettors deserve transparency. But if they can’t get it, residents should stick to their respective offshore books.
Source: WBRZ 12