Can You Legally Bet On UConn Basketball At Connecticut Sportsbooks?

Written By Derek Helling on November 5, 2021
UConn betting Connecticut

Huskies basketball fans looking to wager on the team this season will face some roadblocks in Connecticut. The restrictions, which are currently unique to Connecticut sports betting, apply equally to all college and university teams in the state.

As the regulations are written, tournaments are the only permissible events for wagering on in-state college teams. Even then, Connecticuters are limited to placing just futures bets.

When can I get action on Huskies basketball at CT sportsbooks?

If you visit DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, or SugarHouse Sportsbook looking for lines on the men’s or women’s UConn season-openers, you’ll be disappointed.

That isn’t because the books forgot the teams begin their 2021-22 seasons in November…they are well aware.

It’s because under the regulations that the Connecticut Lottery, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, and Mohegan Tribe all agreed to, CT sportsbooks can’t offer these markets on in-state collegiate teams.

Those regulations ban wagers on individual games involving in-state colleges.

It’s easier to explain the restrictions in terms of what is legal rather than what’s illegal.

Essentially, you can place a futures bet on all intercollegiate tournaments in which there are at least four different teams, including a Connecticut team.

Everything else involving an in-state collegiate team is off the board.

Connecticut college sports betting FAQs

When it comes to wagering on college sports, here are some of the most-commonly asked questions in Connecticut:

Can I bet on a college sporting event taking place in CT as long as it doesn’t involve CT teams?

Yes.

The rules don’t ban betting on collegiate events that are taking place inside the state’s borders. For example, if Boston College and NYU played a neutral-site game at the Gampel Pavillion in Storrs, books could take all the action on that game they wanted.

The restriction comes into play only when betting on an in-state college team.

Can I bet on the Huskies to win March Madness?

Yes.

Since March Madness is an intercollegiate tournament involving at least four teams, you can wager on it. While you won’t be able to wager on each individual matchup the Huskies have within the tournament, you will be able to place a futures bet on them for the tournament.

It’s unclear how sportsbooks will treat preseason tournaments like the Battle 4 Atlantis. Although it’s technically a tournament with at least four teams, the games also count toward teams’ regular-season records. For that reason, sportsbooks might err on the side of caution and not offer betting on that event.

Can I bet on individual games within approved tournaments?

No.

This is where things get the most tricky. Of course, if you bet on the Huskies to win it all in March Madness, you’d by extension be wagering on them to win all the necessary games. However, you couldn’t bet on any markets specific to any game. Futures for entire tournaments are the only permissible wagers.

Can I wager on college athletes and team props in Connecticut?

Yes and no.

Whether single-game or season-long, prop bets on in-state college teams and players are off the board in Connecticut, including in tournaments. You can’t bet on Paige Bueckers to win the Nancy Lieberman Award, for instance.

However, you can place prop bets on out-of-state teams and athletes.

What are my legal options if I want to bet on a single Huskies basketball game?

If you are at least 21 years of age and want to wager on individual collegiate Connecticut games, you will need to make a trip. You can trek to neighboring Rhode Island or nearby New Jersey and Pennsylvania to place these bets.

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Derek Helling

Derek Helling is a lead writer for PlayUSA and the manager of BetHer. He is a 2013 graduate of the University of Iowa and covers the intersections of sports with business and the law.

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