How to Bet NFL in Connecticut
Connecticut football fans have more ways to get in on NFL Sundays than most states their size, and a lot of that comes down to the Winners network. If you have used MyWinners to bet on horse racing, you already know the brand. NFL betting works a little differently, and this guide covers exactly how it fits together, where to go, and what to expect once you get there.
Why Connecticut Bettors Head to a MyWinners Venue for NFL Sundays
Betting from a phone app is convenient, but it’s also solitary. A Winners or MyWinners venue turns the same bet into a shared experience. You are watching the line move on a screen next to someone doing the same thing, reacting to the same plays in real time, with a full bar and kitchen a few steps away instead of a fridge in the next room.
It also means one trip covers more ground. Every Winners or MyWinners venue runs racing and Fanatics Sportsbook betting side by side, so a Sunday visit can start with an early simulcast race and roll straight into the 1pm NFL kickoffs without switching apps or locations. For anyone who already bets racing through MyWinners, that overlap is the appeal. For anyone who has never set foot in a Winners or MyWinners venue, the NFL slate is as good a reason as any to try it.
Bobby V's takes that idea furthest. Both locations pair a full restaurant and bar with a dedicated betting area, so the choice is not between watching the game at a sports bar or betting at a sportsbook. You get both under one roof, with racing available too if you want it.
How NFL Betting Works at Winners Venues in Connecticut
MyWinners itself is built for pari-mutuel betting. That means horse racing, greyhound racing, and jai alai, all bet online through the MyWinners app or from any permitted location in the US, including Connecticut.
NFL and other sports betting is a separate product. Every Winners and MyWinners venue in Connecticut, including both Bobby V's locations, offers sports betting through Fanatics Sportsbook. That betting happens in person at the venue itself. There is no online or mobile option through MyWinners for NFL games. If you want to bet the Giants, Jets, or your out of state team of choice, you need to walk up to a Fanatics Sportsbook terminal or a teller inside a Winners or MyWinners venue.
That in-venue setup is not a downside once you have been to one of these places. Self service betting terminals sit alongside live tellers and personal betting carrels, each one wired with its own TV and tablet. You can build a bet slip, watch the line move, and cash out a ticket at any Winners or MyWinners location in the state, not just the one where you placed it.
Finding Your Nearest Winners Venue
Connecticut has nine Winners and MyWinners venues spread across the state, so most bettors are closer to one than they think. Here is the full rundown.
Winners Norwalk covers Fairfield County with racing, gaming, and Fanatics Sportsbook betting under one roof.
Winners New Britain serves central Connecticut with the same lineup.
Winners Hartford sits right off the highway and combines racing, betting, and live sports on a bank of screens.
Winners Manchester operates inside Shea's Pizzeria & Sports Bar, which is as good an excuse as any to make a night of it.
Winners Milford splits the difference between Bridgeport and New Haven.
Winners Waterbury anchors downtown with lottery play, racing, and sports betting.
MyWinners East Haven rounds out the southern shoreline with live racing and Fanatics betting.
Then there are the two Bobby V's locations, which do double duty as full restaurants and sports bars, bringing the total to nine OTB venues statewide.
Bobby V's: Where NFL Sundays Become a Social Event
Bobby V's Restaurant & Sports Bar in Stamford and Windsor Locks are the two venues built specifically around the idea that betting and hanging out with people should not be separate activities. Both are 21 and over for the betting level and the main bar, though the dining rooms welcome families.
Bobby V's Stamford puts its Winners operation on the second level with private access. You get self service terminals, live tellers, and betting carrels with personal TVs, all a short walk from a full dining menu and a bar built for a Sunday crowd. Tickets and vouchers from any Fanatics Sportsbook location in Connecticut can be cashed there, so you are not stuck carrying a slip back to wherever you placed it.
Bobby V's Windsor Locks runs the same setup near Bradley International Airport, which makes it a natural stop before or after a flight, or just a destination in its own right if you live nearby. Racing and simulcast action plays across a wall of HDTVs, and Fanatics Sportsbook betting sits right alongside it, all inside a restaurant that is built for watching a full slate of games rather than just one.
The pitch for either location is simple. You are not choosing between a sports bar and a sportsbook. You get both, with racing on the side if you want it.
Understanding NFL Bet Types
If you are new to sports betting, a few terms cover most of what you will see on a Fanatics Sportsbook ticket at a Winners or MyWinners venue:
The moneyline is a straight bet on who wins the game, no point spread involved. A favorite might be listed at -150, meaning you need to bet $150 to win $100. An underdog might sit at +130, meaning a $100 bet returns $130 in profit.
The spread handicaps the favorite by a set number of points. If the Bills are -6.5 against the Jets, Buffalo has to win by 7 or more for that bet to cash. Betting the Jets at +6.5 means they can lose by up to 6 points and the bet still wins.
The total, sometimes called the over/under, is a bet on the combined score of both teams. A total of 44.5 means you are betting whether the two teams combine for more or fewer than 44 or 45 points, regardless of who wins.
Parlays combine multiple bets into one ticket for a bigger payout, but every leg has to hit.
Props let you bet on specific outcomes within a game, like a player's passing yards or the first team to score.
A teller at any Winners or MyWinners venue can walk you through building any of these if you’re betting in person for the first time.
Make It a Full Day Out
Because MyWinners covers racing separately from NFL betting, a trip to a Winners or MyWinners venue on a Sunday can stretch well beyond kickoff. Catch an early simulcast race, put a bet on the 1pm games through Fanatics Sportsbook, and stick around for the late afternoon slate without ever leaving your seat. Bobby V's in particular is built for exactly that kind of day, with enough screens and enough menu to make it worth the trip on its own.
If you already bet racing through the MyWinners app, keep doing that from home or on the go. For NFL Sundays, the move is to head to your nearest Winners venue or Bobby V's location and bet Fanatics Sportsbook in person, where the atmosphere is half the reason to go.
Find your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue in CT to bet NFL games in person through Fanatics Sportsbook.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. MyWinners online and the MyWinners app cover pari-mutuel racing, meaning horse racing, greyhound racing, and jai alai. NFL and other sports betting runs through Fanatics Sportsbook and is only available in person at a Winners venue or Bobby V's location in Connecticut.
Fanatics Sportsbook is the sports betting product available at Winners venues across Connecticut, including both Bobby V's locations. It covers NFL games and other sports and is placed in person through self service terminals or a live teller.
Yes. The betting level and main bar at Bobby V's and other Winners venues require patrons to be 21 or older. Dining areas are family friendly, but the sportsbook and bar sections are 21 and over.
All nine locations offer Fanatics Sportsbook betting: Winners Norwalk, Winners New Britain, Winners Hartford, Winners Manchester, Winners Milford, Winners Waterbury, MyWinners East Haven, and both Bobby V's Restaurant & Sports Bar locations in Stamford and Windsor Locks.
Yes. Tickets and vouchers from any Fanatics Sportsbook location in Connecticut can be cashed at any other Winners venue in the state, so you are not tied to the location where you placed the bet.
