HARTFORD — Sports betting may arrive at Hartford’s XL Center by early next year at an interim location within the downtown arena, following relatively soon after a sweeping expansion of legalized sports betting in Connecticut goes live on Oct. 7.
Michael W. Freimuth, executive director of the Capital Region Development Authority, the quasi-public agency that oversees the XL Center, said Friday the precise location for an interim “sportsbook” in the arena has not yet been determined, but would help test out the demand for betting at the XL.
The interim location would have a lot of the components of a permanent location, including a bank of television screens, boards displaying betting odds, wagering windows and kiosks, plus food and beverage, Freimuth said. It also is possible that gambling kiosks could be placed in suites and around the arena’s concourse, he said.
