Yesterday, the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut announced that the venue is suspending bets on WNBA games. The decision was made due to a potential conflict of interest involving the casino’s ownership connection with the Connecticut Sun WNBA team. The Mohegan Tribe owns the team as well as the casino venue.

Experts and state lawmakers began to question if there was a when Governor Ned Lamont placed the first bet last week during the opening ceremony. He wagered $50 on the Suns to win against the Chicago Sky in a playoff game.

Connecticut regualtions prohibit Mohegan employees from placing bets on the team (for good reason). In this case, bets are not being placed by an employee, but the situation is still concerning enough to cause the casino to halt all wagering on the team.

A similar situation presented itself in New Jersey, as Golden Nugget owner Tillman Fertita also owns the Houston Rockets. New Jersey regulators prohibited the casino from taking bets not only on Houston Rockets games, but on all NBA games.

Should the Mohegan Sun Take Bets On A Team It Owns?

Once Lamont placed the bet, all eyes were on the state and the connection between the Mohegan Tribe and the WNBA team. The tribe owns the team, and the Sun plays at an arena on the same property as the casino, so there are several connections in place.

Because of the speculation surrounding the tribe and the team, officials of the casino announced on Monday that the sportsbook suspended WNBA playoff betting. In a statement, the Mohegan Sun president and general manager Jeff Hamilton said:

“We are in the process of working with the WNBA to update our SOPs (standard operating procedures) and have decided to take WNBA wagering off until this is finalized.”

It should be noted, that WNBA betting is a small piece of the sports betting pie, and this was likely an easy decision for Mohegan. Had it been an NBA team, the decision to not take bets would have been more difficult.

Why Wasn’t WNBA Betting Banned At Mohegan Sun From The Beginning?

When lawmakers set up the emergency regulations for the sports betting industry, there are stipulations put in place to prepare for launch. Employees of the Mohegan Sun are not allowed to place bets in the sportsbook, including individuals working with the Suns team.

Employees are also not allowed to wager on games connected to colleges in the state, including UConn and Yale. While lawmakers created these restrictions, they did not stop the tribe from taking bets on the Sun’s games. It seems a bit odd that this did not come up during the process and lawmakers didn’t think to ban the owner of the team from accepting bets.

Connecticut Representative Maria Horn stated that lawmakers might review the potential conflict of interest during the next session. When lawmakers convene again, they will put permanent regulations in place for the three sportsbooks offering services in the state. This would be a prime opportunity for changes to be made regarding the Mohegan Tribe’s ability to provide odds on the Suns team.

Horn commented further that since the gambling industry has seen a significant expansion in the state, she would have been surprised if they had got everything right from the beginning. Tweaks are sure to be made as the state goes from emergency rules to permanent regulations.

FanDuel Sportsbook at Mohegan Sun Casino

The Mohegan Sun Casino offers retail sports betting in Connecticut via a partnership with FanDuel. The two teamed up in July to provide players in the state with land-based betting options and daily fantasy sports, iGaming, and online sports wagering.

The casino is home to 50 self-service kiosks and four live betting windows at a temporary sportsbook. This temporary space will be in use while a permanent sportsbook is under construction within the Casino of the Earth facility. The permanent space will include a 140-foot video wall for streaming sports games along with sports betting kiosks and dining options.