The Connecticut Lottery Corporation (CT Lottery) and Arooga’s Grille House and Sports Bar (“Arooga’s”) have teamed up to launch a new retail sports betting location at its Shelton, Conn., restaurant. The site will offer the PlaySugarHouse sportsbook, the award-winning sports wagering platform from Rush Street Interactive (“RSI”), which is the CLC’s online and retail sports betting partner. The location will open as soon as the sportsbook space is completed and all licensing and regulatory approvals are received.
“Arooga’s is a well-established sports bar chain that provides high quality food, beverage and entertainment to their customers,” said Greg Smith, President & CEO, CT Lottery. “Our partners at Arooga’s share the same vision as CLC for making their Shelton property a destination for sports entertainment and sports betting. I am excited to see this operation begin.”
James Belli, Vice President, McBride Holding Company (parent company for Arooga’s) added: “We are extremely excited that the CT Lottery has chosen Arooga’s Grill House & Sports Bar in Shelton, CT to launch one of Connecticut’s sports book locations. This partnership will offer guests throughout the region an unparalleled opportunity to watch a game and place a sports bet in what we believe is one of, if not the best, sports atmospheres in Connecticut. Guests can come to watch numerous sporting events on over 100 televisions, enjoy a beverage from one of over 50 draft beer offerings, and enjoy some award-winning wings and other mouth-watering eats. We are thrilled and look forward to the future of this partnership.”
“We are excited to launch the latest RSI-powered sportsbook to bring best-in-class retail sports wagering entertainment to the Shelton area,” said Richard Schwartz, RSI’s Chief Executive Officer. “Area residents will be able to place in-person bets on their favorite teams while enjoying the hospitality of Arooga’s. This new venue illustrates our commitment to Connecticut to offer innovative experiences at many sportsbook locations and venues around the state where players can bet and cash their winning tickets or even fund and cash out their online accounts.”
Arooga’s will be the next launch of the CLC’s 15 authorized sports betting outlets in the state, adding to the Lottery’s expanding retail sports betting footprint in Connecticut. The site will undergo renovations in the coming months to upgrade a dedicated space into a fully immersive, state-of-the-art sports experience, which will include Arooga’s impressive two-story high video wall, dozens of high definition monitors, multiple kiosks and teller stations, and full food and beverage service.
The CLC will make additional announcements in the near future about more new retail sports betting locations around the state.
Connecticut players, ages 21 and older, can bet online throughout the state via the PlaySugarHouse platform from their mobile devices, tablets, desktop and laptop computers, or at one of the CLC’s retail sports betting locations throughout Connecticut.

