HARTFORD — In its annual warning to the many amateur Super Bowl gamblers, the state Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) is reminding the public it is illegal to offer the popular “squares” or “boxes” game in the office or at home on Super Bowl Sunday without a state license.
Those licenses, which are for sports book bets, belong to a select few professional gambling establishments in Connecticut. They include: DraftKings, through their affiliation with Foxwoods Casino; FanDuel, through their affiliation with Mohegan Sun; and Fanatics, through their affiliation with the Connecticut Lottery Corp. Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Casino also offer retail sports wagering at their casinos.
All other bars and restaurants may not sell Super Bowl “Squares,” which is a form of gambling, according to Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan Cafferelli.
“The Super Bowl is set (it’s the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the Philadelphia Eagles on Feb. 9) and around the corner, so we know many people will be placing wagers in the coming weeks,” said Cafferelli. “We are reminding the public – both businesses and consumers – that it is illegal to offer wagers without a license.
“As always, adults who choose to gamble are encouraged to set time and money limits, only gamble on licensed platforms and review the resources and information available if you or someone you know has a gambling problem.”
In fact, the only places that can legally take bets for the Super Bowl or any other sports is limited to 11 retail locations throughout the state that have an affiliation with DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics or the Connecticut Lottery. And from what the Fairfield County Business Journal can gather, none offer the Super Bowl Squares game.
According to the DCP, those retail establishments licensed to take wagers are:
- Bobby V’s Stamford and Windsor Locks (Fanatics Sports Book)
- Murphy’s Pub & Sports Bar Manchester
- Sports Haven New Haven (Fanatics)
- Total Mortgage Arena (Fanatics)
- Winners Hartford, Milford, New Britain, Norwalk, and Waterbury (these places only offer OTB betting on horse racing, dog racing and jai lai.)
- XL Center Hartford (Fanatics)
If you or someone you know is looking for resources and support for problems relating to gambling, call, or chat with the Connecticut Council on Problem Gaming 24/7 confidential Problem Gambling Helpline at 1(888) 789-7777 or visit www.ccpg.org.
