Slight Uptick in July For Connecticut Casino Revenue and Handle

The Connecticut online gaming numbers continue to improve as 2022 rolls on.

For July, the online casino handle in the state was $706,705,388. That was a 4.6% over June, when online casinos combined for $675.5 million in amount wagered, and represented a rebound after May’s $774 million in handle.

The Mashantucket-Pequot Tribe’s online casino led the state with more than $439.4 million in handle for July, nearly $20 million more than was recorded for June casino revenue.

The other major player online in Connecticut is Mohegan Digital, which reported $265.65 million for July handle, an increase of more than $10 million in a month-over-month comparison with June.

The online casino total taxable gaming revenue in July in the state was $16,655,426, up 2.2% from June’s $16.3 million, according to numbers from the Connecticut State Department of Consumer Protection.

July’s state revenue share was about $3 million, a 2.1% increase over $2.94 million for the previous month.

July also brought a new option at DraftKings Casino in Connecticut. A deal between the Mashantucket-Pequot Tribe and the Bragg Gaming Group brought Spin Games online casino products from Bragg. Triple Jewels, Get Hot and Gypsy Riches are among the online slots from Bragg, which acquired Spin Games this year.

The best US online casinos are proof that popular online gaming options are a strong source of tax revenue for states.

The other five states that have legal iGaming are New Jersey, Delaware, Michigan, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Connecticut took the leap in late 2021, becoming the latest state with legal online gaming options such as online blackjack, roulette and poker.

Sports betting has been a far more easily embraced gambling option for state lawmakers and leaders, as more than 30 states have legalized the practice including Connecticut.

But many states are leaving money on the table by not offering wagering on both sports and iGaming.

According to a recent report from gaming company Light & Wonder (formerly known as Scientific Games) states that already have some form of sports betting could be making at least $5 billion in online gaming revenue combined if they all had iGaming.

Around the country in markets with legal, regulated sports betting, summer is a slow time of year. Connecticut’s numbers reflect that for July.

The sports betting handle in the Constitution State was $78,316,775 in July, down 17.5% from June ($94.9 million) and the lowest full month since the state launched in October 2021. The mobile sports betting handle was nearly $73 million in July, also a 17.5% drop from the $88.4 million in the previous month.

With no football, NBA or NHL, it’s no surprise that July numbers are among the lowest of the year for the nascent Connecticut sports betting market. The news simply mirrors what happens every summer in more mature sports wagering markets, from Nevada to New Jersey.

There was good news on the revenue front. Sports betting total taxable gaming revenue added up to $6,247,958 (with $5,761,681 coming from online operators) last month. That was 28.3% higher than June’s $4.87 million in revenue. The state share of revenue went up by the same percentage, from $669,453 in June to $859,094 in July.