Sportech, the operator and supplier of pools and tote gaming, has been granted permission to exclusively operate online wagering in the US state of Connecticut on all horse racing.
Approval has been received from the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection to offer online betting to state residents aged 18 years and older, a potential market of around 3.7 million people.
The approval was granted under Sportech's existing licence to provide exclusive tote betting on horse racing, greyhound racing and jai alai (a variety of Basque pelota) in Connecticut, which is offered via telephone wagering and off-track betting locations.
Ian Penrose, chief executive of Sportech, said: "When we acquired our North American business two years ago, we gave commitments to the regulators that we would improve the business for all of our customers and employees in the state of Connecticut.
“We are delighted that we are now able to extend our offering to include exclusive wagering on horse racing on the internet, in addition to our existing retail and telephone exclusive wagering services. We will continue to build our business by offering secure, legal, pari-mutuel wagering on horseracing."
The online platform is expected to launch by April 2013 and will be available to Connecticut residents only.
