Creative Commons License

Since sports betting became legal in Connecticut in late 2021, its popularity has been rising — especially online. More than $6.2 billion has been wagered on sports in Connecticut, about $5.9 billion of that online and $338 million at in-person locations.

So far this year, both online betting and in-person “retail” betting, as it’s known, have beat out last year’s wagers over the same period. In the first two months of 2025, online sports wagers totaled $381.2 million and retail wagers totaled $17.6 million.

But the rise of retail betting has been unsteady: 2025 totals so far are lower than the totals in 2023 for the same period. The growth of online wagering, on the other hand, hasn’t let up.

The first two months of 2024 and 2025 saw total online bets exceeding the $284.3 million placed in January and February of 2023, according to the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, which regulates gambling in the state.

Sports gambling was billed, at least in part, as a way to raise tax revenue. And it has. In online wagering, of the total gross gaming revenue across all months and licensees, about 13.3% goes to the state as tax revenue and 3.0% goes to the federal government in taxes.

In retail wagering, of the total gross gaming revenue across all months and licensees, about 13.4% goes to the state as tax revenue and 2.5% goes to the federal government in taxes.

March is a popular month for sports betting. Many casual wagerers fill out brackets for both the men’s and women’s NCAA Division I basketball tournaments, and Major League Baseball fantasy leagues conduct their drafts.

On average, monthly online wagers have risen to $63.5 million so far this year from $39.5 million per month in 2022, according to the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Retail sports betting averaged $8.2 million a month in 2022. That has declined to $4.4 million a month in January and February of this year — but March numbers aren’t in yet.

So who is cashing in on all that sports betting?

In online wagering, of every dollar wagered, about 91.7% goes back to patrons as winnings, 1.35% goes to federal and state payments, and 6.9% is retained by operators as net gaming revenue.

In retail wagering, of every dollar wagered, 90% goes back to patrons as winnings, 1.6% goes to federal and state payments, and 8.4% is retained by operators as net gaming revenue.

Renata is the data reporter for CT Mirror. She recently graduated from Columbia University with a master’s degree in data journalism. For her undergraduate studies, she graduated cum laude from Pennsylvania State University with dual bachelor’s degrees in international politics and broadcast journalism, and minors in global security and Middle East studies. Renata has a background in data analysis and programming, with proficiency in Python, QGIS, and HTML, among other tools. She previously interned at the Malala Fund and has reported stories from Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Brazil. She speaks four languages and is currently learning a fifth.