07/02/2021
Governor Lamont Announces Provisional Licenses Issued for Daily Fantasy Sports
DraftKings and FanDuel Agree to Pay Connecticut More Than $1 Million
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection has issued provisional licenses for the operation of daily fantasy sports in Connecticut as the state moves toward implementation of sports betting and online gaming under a new law the governor signed in May.
The law is the result of an agreement Governor Lamont reached earlier this year with the Mohegan Tribe and Mashantucket Pequot Tribe that allows the tribes and the Connecticut Lottery Corporation to offer online gaming, sports wagering, retail sports wagering, and fantasy contests.
The provisional licenses were issued to MPTN CT Fantasy, LLC, a wholly owned affiliate of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation; MGA Technology DFS, LLC, a wholly owned affiliate of the Mohegan Tribe of Indians; and the Connecticut Lottery Corporation. The provisional licenses authorize these entities to operate fantasy contests off the reservations of the tribes. Each entity may contract with any individual or entity to operate fantasy contests in Connecticut, provided that entity holds a valid license in at least one other state and makes a payment to the State of Connecticut for past operations.
MPTN CT Fantasy, LLC, has contracted with DraftKings, and DraftKings was required to pay the state $832,383.45. MGA Technology DFS, LLC has contracted with FanDuel, and FanDuel was required to pay the state $325,914.91. The Connecticut Lottery Corporation has not yet entered into a contract with a fantasy sports operator.
The provisional licenses will expire on the earlier of September 30, 2021, or the date on which the more comprehensive licenses provided for in the May legislation have been issued.
“This short-term step allows for the continuation of fantasy sports in Connecticut as we continue to move forward to modernize our gaming landscape in Connecticut,” Governor Lamont said. “Thanks to our partnership with the Mohegan Tribe, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, and the Connecticut Lottery Corporation, our state will have a competitive, and nation-leading model for wagering both in-person and online.”
“We are proud to have been able to approve these provisional licenses, a process designed to protect consumers and create a fair marketplace, so that these businesses may legally operate fantasy contests in Connecticut,” Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull said. “We look forward to continued work with both tribes and the Connecticut Lottery Corporation.”
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