S
ports wagering at Hartford’s XL Center in Connecticut could launch by early next year at an interim location within the multi-purpose downtown arena. This would follow the state’s legalization of sports betting, which will go live on October 7.
Michael W. Freimuth, executive director of the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA), a quasi-public agency that oversees the center, said that the precise location for an interim sportsbook has not yet been determined but would help test out the demand for betting at the XL, reports Hartford Courant.
In order to help determine the ebb and flow of traffic, as well as the operation’s financial return, the interim location would count with many components of a permanent one. These include television screens, boards displaying betting odds, wagering windows and kiosks, food and beverage options.
It is also being explored that kiosks could be placed in suites and around the arena’s concourse. No cost estimates for the project were announced and Freimuth declined to speculate about them.
The CRDA is currently in discussions with the Connecticut Lottery Corp. (CLT) on bringing gaming to the center, confirmed Freimuth at a meeting earlier this month. According to the executive director, what makes the most sense for Spectra, the company that operates the XL Center, is to run a restaurant featuring sports gaming as the company has the necessary health and liquor licenses, personnel and organizational relationship with the center.
“The lottery folks are working with us and we’ll see where it goes,” said Freimuth according to Hartford Business. “Spectra is interested. We just don’t know if it makes sense yet.”
The CLT said Friday it is still looking at the XL Center as an initiative for 2022, although an agreement still must be signed with the lottery and its vendor. Should a permanent site in the arena open, a possible location has been proposed in the lower level exhibition hall. Another plan could be along Trumbull Street, near the main entrance to the arena.
However, while this last option would give the sportsbook visibility, part of the building isn’t controlled by the CRDA, which has unsuccessfully tried to purchase for years now the “Trumbull Block” from owner Northland Investment Corp.
The lottery has further said that the sports betting facility could become part of a larger venue in the future, combining new entertainment options such as e-sports and electronic gaming. It could also work as a catalyzer for potential renovations in the arena, which have been in discussion for some time now.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international//noticias/2021/09/20/59369-sports-betting-at-hartfords-xl-center-could-launch-at-an-interim-location-in-early-2022
