What winning national titles does to folks, I swear.
Following the UConn Men’s Basketball team repeating as NCAA champions, the Connecticut state legislature is preparing to alter sports betting laws to allow wagering on in-state college teams such as the twice-defending champs and the Final Four Huskies Women. Previously, Connecticut sports betting did now allow for gambling on Connecticut-based college teams unless as part of a futures bet on a tournament that involved other college teams.
So residents of the Constitution State could have bet on the Huskies to win the NCAA Tournament. However, they could not have bet on the National Championship Game.
Under a new bill, which was filed earlier this month, Connecticut sports bettors would be able to wager on in-state college programs. Given UConn is the standard for college basketball right now, it makes sense that the state would want to start reaping some tax revenue from fans betting on the Huskies, among other teams.
Connecticut has no Big 4 sports teams, and its residents are largely fans of New York and Boston franchises. College teams such as the University of Connecticut and Yale have the most devoted followings with state boundaries.
One thing to note with the new bill is that it would not allow player props for college sports. This has become a focal point with the NCAA, which has urged states to consider banning the practice. Several, most recently Louisiana, have obliged.
That said, adding college sports to the roster of bettable options would probably be huge for the state’s three online operators, DraftKings, Fanatics and FanDuel. The Connecticut legislative session ends May 8 — so there is enough time to get this bill passed, but it’s coming down to the final few weeks.
