Connecticut After PASPA – iGaming a Possibility

The United States is a perforated region when it comes to the legal status of all things gambling. You may opt for your regulated casinos in Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware, with a few outliers here and there, or plunge in sports betting action in a few fringe areas. However, even with the recent repeal of the most stringent anti-gambling act, 1992 PASPA, Connecticut may now face woes of its own.
Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy has requested a special session to address the problems that have arisen, or rather haven’t been solved, after PASPA. Still, Mr Malloy seems to centre the bulk of his charm offensive on sports betting, which he wants to legalize in the state.

A Point of Consternation with Tribal Connecticut

Enacting legal sports betting in the state is a contentious point. Currently, the tribes located on the territory are arguing that any sports betting venues are their own, exclusive preserve whereas the states own off-track betting facilities (OTB) and even lotteries are inclined to disagree. Tribal compacts, it has been said, do not cover sports betting.
Meanwhile, the state’s AG George Jepsen has stepped in on the side of the state-backed facilities, and said that while there were those that are considered “authorized games,” the other, that fall under sports betting, are not, and therefore, Mr Jepsen argued, the tribal compacts do not cover it.

Your Loss Is My Gain – Online Gambling

Meanwhile, Mr Malloy has been busy thinking out a solution. He has been suggesting that bringing online gambling may, in fact, be a middle ground for the two gaming tribes in the state.
Legalizing the state’s iGaming activity will create the legal wriggle room to bring sports betting in full. Meanwhile, Mohegan Sun vice president Avi Alroy has said openly that the State of Connecticut will benefit from both online gambling and sports betting in equal measures.
Mr Alroy doesn’t seem to be speaking on a whim, as the tribe is already expanding with casino properties across New Jersey.

How Do Things Look for the Rest of the US?

It’s hardly surprising that the repeal of PASPA has not yielded any immediate results. The proponents of online gambling and sports wagering are testing the new legal ground, trying to get a foothold in it. Meanwhile, it has been suggested that the US will do well to adopt a UK-like gambling model. It stands to reason as the United Kingdom is one of the foremost authorities on gambling.
Local gambling laws have been regulating the industry for decades, more or less, and to a large extent, the operators there are self-regulated. Of course, the UK Gambling Commission has revved up its efforts to uproot loopholes and legal opposition has also been quite vociferous among legislators.
However, the United States will first have to address its own bugbears. With so many entities competing for the lion’s share, having the customer’s good uppermost in their mind may not be getting as much attention right now. Hopefully, things will change in future.