Frank Suarez, president and CEO of the Connecticut Lottery Corporation (CLC), told the General Law Committee that the lottery’s 2024 operations included the launch of iLottery and continued growth in sports wagering handled by the agency’s retail and online partnerships.

Suarez said CLC reported $1.7 billion in sales in fiscal 2024, returning $387 million to the state general fund. He said prizes accounted for about 67.6 percent of sales and that the CLC network of more than 2,800 retailers earned roughly $85.3 million in commissions. Suarez described the new gaming system that went live in 2023 as having processed more than 605 million transactions and paid more than $1.3 billion in prizes since deployment.

The CLC launched iLottery on June 10, 2024; Suarez said as of Dec. 31, 2024 the program had about 35,000 registered players and had generated about $5 million in revenue since launch. He also noted constraints in the state’s current compact and statutes: CLC is not authorized to offer interactive instant ("eInstant") games online, which Suarez said are among the highest‑revenue lottery products in some other states.

On sports betting, Suarez described new retail locations — including a Fanatics sportsbook at Total Mortgage Arena and a new retail sportsbook at a Norwalk venue — and said sports handled year to date totaled approximately $213 million, up about 62 percent compared with fiscal 2024. Suarez also said CLC contributes $3.3 million annually to the state’s chronic gamblers rehabilitation fund and distributes regulatory funding to DCP.

Suarez emphasized the lottery’s responsible‑gaming initiatives, including partnerships for education and financial counseling for winners (the Wise Winnings program), the “Give a Toy, Not a Ticket” campaign, and a bid to renew World Lottery Association responsible‑gaming certification at the highest level.

Why it matters: The lottery remains a major state revenue source. As online and retail sports wagering expand, the lottery’s product mix and regulatory responsibilities affect both state receipts and the availability of problem‑gambling funding and prevention programs.

Committee issues and next steps: Members questioned how lottery revenue and transfers compare with casino taxes, how the lottery’s gaming system transition affected customers and communications with regulators, and how iLottery and sports offerings could evolve within existing legal constraints. Suarez said staff are reviewing system incidents, improving testing and expanding outreach to restore public confidence.