As the NCAA tournament draws closer, residents of Connecticut are preparing to place their wagers on the upcoming games. Now that the state has legalized sports betting, many people are bracing themselves to win – or lose – big money during the tournament.
According to the American Gaming Association, more than 45 million people are estimated to participate in the game across the United States of America. This will generate nearly $3.1 billion with a slice falling in the plate of Connecticut.
A Big Weekend Ahead
Interested participants and retailers, whether online or offline, are looking forward to the upcoming weekend when the games finally begin. People residing in Connecticut had been feeling left out for not being able to place a wager on a game. This is about to change now with huge estimates being made by experts.
A resident of Mansfield was reported as saying that it was fun to put a little money on games, adding that he had specially arrived at the location to place a wager.
Many gamblers from the surrounding states have shown interest in visiting Connecticut only to place their bets. One stated that since they could not place bets in Massachusetts, they were coming all the way to Connecticut to have fun.
Retailers are equally ready to entertain their guests during the event. Since this is for the first time that the state has legalized sports betting, a huge crowd is expected to visit the location and place large bets.
The Mohegan Sun Sportsbook has even reported that its reserved seatings have already been purchased. Reserved seating at the Mohegan Sun Sportsbook requires one to purchase food and beverages for $200. Even after considering this factor, many have gone ahead to book the reserved seating space for themselves.
Jeff Hamilton, the President & General Manager of the Mohegan Sun, said that the company expects a full house on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. A similar amount of footfall is expected by Foxwoods Resort Casino.
Participants will be able to place their bets online on various sports betting sites. This includes options like Fan Duel and Draft Kings.
However, some expect this to bring in a new problem of gambling addiction to Connecticut. The Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling said that participants tend to get into trouble with gambling while participating in a month-long event, especially if they start going after their losses.
Diana Goode, the Executive Director of the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, stated that people tend to continue chasing their losses in order to win that money back in the next stages, something that ends up being a huge disaster.
She emphasized the importance of stepping back for a few moments to calculate the amount of money spent during the game.
