Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut is pushing for the legalization of sports betting in the state. Though the state tried to take a tough stance to support sports betting in the early days, it hasn’t been able to cash-in on its position. While 20 states have already legalized sports betting, Connecticut is still picking up the pieces to its regulations.

Why is the regulation important?

Connecticut is the home to the largest Native American casinos in the US. It includes The Foxwoods Resort Casino and The Mohegan Sun. The casinos offer games like roulette, craps, blackjack, keno, and horse racing. The current tribal impact has given exclusive slot machines rights for the state, which invites a tax of 25%. The tribe paid more than $253 million by the end of last year.

At the moment, sports betting is only partially legal in the state. Gov. Lamont reopened the discussion for launching sports betting in the state on Wednesday. The state lawmakers previously sidelined the topic of sports betting. Lamont is meeting Mohegan tribe and Mashantucket Pequot to discuss the issues related to the industry. The mutual understanding between the two could be approved by the General Assembly in the next legislative session of February 2020.

Lamont’s view on sports betting

Lamont said,

“I had a good meeting with the [tribal] leaders, and I think we’re moving towards places where we can reach an agreement.”

He said that other parts of the country, including the neighboring states of Connecticut, have already started legalizing sports betting. Valuable revenue from the state is already moving towards legalized sports gambling markets. He added that he wants to legalize sports betting in the state in association with the tribes.

Previously, he talked about creating a global solution with the tribes that could help in solving the state’s issues with gambling. In 2017, the state was at the forefront of legalizing sports gambling, but the momentum has died down since then.