HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Sports fans won’t be able to place bets at Hartford’s XL Center until next spring.
Officials told the Hartford Courant that delays in receiving crucial construction components due to global supply chain issues is to blame, and that the project isn’t expected to be completed until at least March.
It had been hoped the 4,000-square-foot sportsbook, featuring a bar and restaurant, would be open in time for the start of the NFL season this weekend.
A main component delaying the project is a large glass wall that will overlook a major intersection and is expected to transform the building’s bunker-like appearance.
“We’re groping along, frankly, because the window system is frustrating us,” Michael W. Freimuth, executive director of the Capital Region Development Authority, which oversees arena operations, told the newspaper. “We’re trying to keep going, but the wall system is going to delay us.”
The state-financed, $4 million project was approved after lawmakers passed legislation legalizing sports gambling last year. The legislation called for the creation of sports betting venues at 15 locations.
The XL Center hosts University of Connecticut men’s and women’s basketball as well as minor-league hockey and concerts.
