Sports betting is set to begin in Connecticut on October 7th.

The Governor's office was informed last week that the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs has signed off on revisions to the gaming compacts between the state, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and the Mohegan Tribe, paving the way for the state Department of Consumer Protection to move forward with licensing and the certification process.

A key legislative committee approved emergency regulations last month. Permanent regulations are expected to be debated during next year’s legislative session.

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribe is building a permanent retail sportsbook at Foxwoods that will open in October, and they have plans for a temporary retail facility. They have been working with Draft Kings to make offerings available.  The Mohegan Tribal Nation chose FanDuel to operate its sports betting and the Connecticut Lottery awarded Sportstech a contract to operate 10 of their 15 retail locations in the state.

The state would set an 18% tax rate for the first five years on new online gambling offered by the casinos, followed by a 20% rate for at least the following five years. There would be a 13.75% state tax on sports wagering. Currently, the state receives 25% of the slot machine revenues generated at Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, in return for granting the tribes exclusive rights to offer casino games.