
HARTFORD, CT – Two days after Gov. Ned Lamont announced he was in favor of expanding sports betting beyond Connecticut’s two federally recognized tribes, the leader of one of those tribes issued a strongly-worded statement.
Rodney Butler, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, said the governor and his staff didn’t communicate with the tribes for months before announcing his “take-it-or-leave-it” proposal, which puts more than $250 million in annual slot revenue payments to the state at risk.
“That’s not negotiating,” Butler said.
Butler said the tribes have tried to work on a solution by agreeing to build a casino in Bridgeport and allowing other entertainment facilities for sports betting in Hartford, New Haven, and a yet-to-be-named city. It’s a solution that would maintain tribal exclusivity over sports betting.

Max Reiss, a spokesman for Lamont, said what Butler proposed would “invite serious legal challenges from a host of competitors.”
He said it would also “grant the tribes the exclusive authority to offer not just sports betting, but also virtually all other casino games on a mobile platform throughout the state and off their reservations. The governor does not support that proposal and has consistently stated that he will only sign the fair and reasonable resolution, which has been discussed with the tribes, that benefits them and ensures the successful expansion of gaming both on and off of their reservations.”

Reiss said Lamont remains committed to that goal and hopes the tribes will join him in seeking a compromise to resolve the issue.
However, Butler said Lamont’s position seems to disregard legal action if it’s from the tribes.
“The governor is seeking to avoid ‘endless legal challenges,’ but seems to disregard if the legal challenge is from the tribes and costs the residents of the state hundreds of millions of dollars,” Butler wrote. “Legal action didn’t stop Connecticut from granting monopolies for lottery and off-track betting or putting forth a proposal on tolls that was certain to end up in the courts. The fear of legal challenges also hasn’t held up sports betting in the 12 states that have legalized it for their in-state casinos only.”
Support authentic, locally owned and operated public service journalism!
Further, “There is a path forward on gaming if there is a will to take it, and we stand ready to work with any and all parties to make it happen. If, however, the state decides not to act or to push the courts to decide, we will continue to be the great partner to the residents of this state that we’ve called home for thousands of years.”
The Public Safety and Security Committee has until March 17 to weigh in on the issue and the two competing bills. One that would give the tribes exclusivity and one that would allow third parties to participate in sports betting.
More State Budget news

Stefanowski Talks Abortion, Employee Raises & Budget In First Press Conference
For a half-hour Wednesday, Bob Stefanowski stood outside the state Capitol and fielded questions on abortion rights and state employee raises in a sign the Republican candidate plans to run a more conventional campaign in this year’s rematch with Gov. Ned Lamont.
Keep reading
Lamont Signs The Budget
Alongside Democratic legislative leaders, Gov. Ned Lamont signed the $24 billion budget adjustment Monday that includes $600 million in tax relief. That’s more than they anticipated they would be able to offer Connecticut residents this Election year because revenue came in higher than expected, but it still creates about an $800 million deficit in 2024. …
Keep reading
ANALYSIS | It’s A Wrap: The Winners and Losers of the 2022 Session
It was a short legislative session, but the House and the Senate were able to move a lot of business this year, including the passage of a $24-billion budget with around $600 million in tax cuts.
Keep reading
Connecticut Acts To Help Its Lead-Poisoned Children
After decades of inertia, Connecticut is finally moving to help its thousands of lead-poisoned children and prevent thousands of other young children from being damaged by the widespread neurotoxin.
Keep reading
Bill Bolstering Contracting Oversight Board In Jeopardy After Lamont Administration Raises Concerns
It passed unanimously in the Senate, but a bill that would give the State Contracting Standards Board greater oversight over state contracting appeared stalled in the House Wednesday on the last day of session. “The governor and I have not talked about the bill,” House Speaker Matt Ritter said. “The commissioners have sent us a…
Keep reading
Senate Approves Tax Cuts, Sends $24B Budget to the Governor
The state Senate gave final approval late Tuesday to a $24 billion election year budget plan that includes around $600 million in tax relief while enabling the state to make an $3.5 billion payment on its unfunded pension debt. Senators voted 24-12 at around 10:30 p.m. to send the midterm budget adjustment to the desk…
Keep reading
House Green-Lights $24B Budget
On a party-line vote early Tuesday, the House passed a $24 billion budget adjustment package containing more than $600 million in tax cuts which Democrats heralded as “historic” and Republicans derided as temporary. Lawmakers voted 95 – 52 at around 12:20 a.m. to send the 673-page budget document to the Senate for consideration before the…
Keep reading
Budget Materials
The General Assembly is preparing to debate adjustments to the $24 billion state budget. Below are a few of the documents we’ve been provided as back-up materials. The budget, HB 5506. Town runs. Car tax impact on municipalities. Finance Committee Power Point.
Keep reading
Lawmakers May Vote for First Pay Increase in 20 Years
With legislative retirements mounting, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were considering Monday raising the salaries of General Assembly members for the first time in more than two decades and indexing their pay in the future. During a morning press briefing, House Speaker Matt Ritter told reporters that funding for pay raises had been…
Keep reading
Amid Surging Revenue, House Prepares to Vote on Budget Adjustments
Connecticut’s House of Representatives was expected to vote Monday on a $24 billion budget adjustment package, buoyed by revised revenue predictions that exceeded expectations by more than $350 million. The revised consensus figures released Monday confirm the surge in revenues that enabled Gov. Ned Lamont and legislative Democrats to reach an agreement last week on…
Keep reading
Dems Detail Budget Deal With $500 Mil in Tax Cuts, Extension of Gas Tax Holiday
Legislative Democrats and Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration announced Wednesday the details of a $24.2 billion budget adjustment package, which they say provides around $500 million in tax relief including extending a gas tax holiday until December. Lamont and legislative leaders outlined the agreement during an afternoon press conference in the state Capitol building. Both chambers…
Keep reading
Health Care Workers Call for New Hires
After a record number of health care workers are expected to retire this year, health care staff called on Gov. Ned Lamont to commit to filling 1,000 vacant positions by August 1 of this year. A record 1,137 state workers who notified the state that they will retire this year comes at a moment of…
Keep reading
Senate Joins House And Votes To Give Raises, Bonuses To State Employees
The Senate gave final approval by a 22-13 vote on a plan to give unionized state workers a set of raises and bonuses. The plan, negotiated by Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration and a coalition of public sector labor unions, provides three years of 2.5% raises and step increases as well as a total of $3,500…
Keep reading
House Advances Labor Deal In Historic Vote
Lawmakers in Connecticut’s House of Representatives signed off on a plan to give state workers a set of raises and bonuses Thursday in a mostly partisan vote on a negotiated labor agreement. The House voted 96 to 52 in support of the deal with 1 Republican, Rep. Tom Delnicki of South Windsor, joining all Democrats…
Keep reading
Republicans Propose Last-Minute Tax Package
Legislative Republicans pitched a $1.2 billion tax relief plan Thursday which reduces state income, sales and gas taxes and proposes to join other states in suing the federal government to challenge restrictions on spending pandemic relief funds. House and Senate Republicans announced the plan during a state Capitol press conference Thursday morning. It cuts the…
Keep reading
The Budget Battle Begins To Take Shape
Tax collections have improved and pushed Connecticut’s budget surplus to $4 billion, but the state budget still relies heavily on federal funding and without it the state would end up running a “sizeable operating deficit.” The Office of Policy and Management told state Comptroller Natalie Braswell Wednesday that if not for the use of the…
Keep readingMore Gaming industry news

Problem Gambling Concerns Emerge With Expansion of Gaming
A panel of lawmakers tried during a Monday hearing to get their arms around the extent to which problem gambling has increased in the months since Connecticut legalized sports betting and online gambling. The legislature’s Public Safety and Security Committee heard from the parties authorized in a law last year to expand their betting operations…
Keep reading
A Month of Online Gambling Has Netted Connecticut $1.7M in Revenue
Less than a month of newly-legalized sports betting and online gambling in Connecticut generated more than $1.7 million in revenue for the state’s coffers, Gov. Ned Lamont announced this week. From the soft launch in mid-October through the end of that month, the state recorded about $513,000 in sports betting revenue and $1.2 million from…
Keep reading
Sports Betting Kicks Off At Sports Haven
The Connecticut Lottery Corporation and its partners kick off retail sports betting in New Haven. Read more from the New Haven Independent.
Keep reading
Online Gambling Starts Today
Starting at 6 a.m. today residents across the state will have a casino in their pockets.
Keep reading
Limited Online Gambling Starts This Week
(Updated 10 a.m.) Starting at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12 hundreds of Connecticut residents will be able to use their phones or computers to place a bet with one of three vendors. Tuesday will start the seven-day soft launch period for online gambling. “We appreciate the hard work of our licensees and their teams, as…
Keep reading
Online Gambling, Sports Betting Delayed
The Department of Consumer Protection confirmed Wednesday that the expected Oct. 7 rollout of online gambling and sports betting will be delayed.
Keep reading