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Lamont: Feds Approve Agreements, Expanded Gambling To Begin In October

Rodney Butler, the Mashantucket Pequot chairman, assessing an empty casino at Foxwoods.
Mark Pazniokas
/
CTMirror.org
Rodney Butler, the Mashantucket Pequot chairman, assesses an empty casino at Foxwoods.

The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs has approved changes to compacts between the state of Connecticut and the two tribes that operate casinos in the state, clearing the way for the expansion of gambling, sports betting and online casino games.

Some state officials had hoped to have sports betting up and running in time for the start of the football season this week. Instead, sports betting and online games will begin in October, the governor's office said Thursday.

The state Department of Consumer Protection is working on licensing and certifying online gaming platforms.

“This has been a journey. Other states are far ahead of us,” state Sen. Cathy Osten, co-chair of the legislature’s Public Safety Committee, said earlier this week.

Osten has sponsored gambling legislation for years in the state Senate.

“This protects jobs and organizes gaming in a way that has not been done since the 30 years that gaming has been instituted in Connecticut,” said Osten, who was a guest on Connecticut Public Radio’s Where We Live.

Matt Dwyer is an editor, reporter and midday host for Connecticut Public's news department. He produces local news during All Things Considered.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Connecticut Public’s journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.