Sports betting has been legal in Connecticut for less than a month, but New Yorkers appear to be some of the biggest benefactors.
GeoComply, a geolocation security company based in Canada, recently reported that “there is a definite appetite for legal, regulated betting options in the region, particularly from New York.”
The company used its technology to determine there is a large amount of gambling activity taking place near the border between the two states. The company estimates more than 35% of Connecticut’s online gaming activity takes place in the southwestern part of the state along the I-95 corridor.
“We’ve learned from the New Jersey experience that New Yorkers are clearly motivated to travel locally to bet on sites where proper consumer protections have been put in place that safeguard the integrity of their wager,” Vice president of global government relations Chad Kornett said in a statement adjoining the report. “Connecticut looks to be quickly following a similar pattern.”
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What Does Connecticut Sports Betting Look Like?
Connecticut launched mobile sports betting and online casinos on Oct. 19. You don’t have to be a Connecticut resident to take part. You just have to be physically located in the state while you place a bet.
The state features three mobile sportsbooks — DraftKings, FanDuel, and SugarHouse. All three have partnerships with local organizations.
DraftKings partners with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe. As a result, it operates a retail sportsbook at the tribe’s Foxwoods Resort Casino. Because of its partnership with the Mohegan Tribe, FanDuel has a retail sportsbook at Mohegan Sun Casino.
The Connecticut Lottery Corporation partners with SugarHouse for its mobile sports betting platform and what could be up to 15 retail locations around the state.
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New York Sports Betting A Few Months Away
Empire State sports betting fans are hopeful the state could launch mobile sportsbooks by the 2022 Super Bowl. What that looks like remains to be seen, but more than a half-dozen sportsbooks could be available.
The process to bring sports betting to the state was long and complicated by the fact then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo had strong feelings about how the program should be administered. He is gone, but putting the finishing touches on one of his landmark achievements is taking time.
While they wait, New Yorkers have been traveling to Connecticut as well as New Jersey. The New York Times reported last month that many walk across the Hudson River on a Sunday morning and stand on the other side of the bridge, place a bet, and then walk back before kick-off.