The Connecticut General Assembly is actively meeting until June 4. In the meantime, the legislature will keep considering various bills concerning gaming.
Last week, legislators in Hartford addressed another piece of legislation concerning gaming.
Senate Bill 1464 aims to include online poker as an authorized type of internet gambling in the state and permit the governor to make arrangements with other states for sharing player liquidity. SB1464 would also set restrictions on online sports betting.
The Senate bill was presented by the General Law Committee of the chamber. It is scheduled for a public hearing on Wednesday, March 12.
The statute for sports betting and online poker joins multiple other gaming bills presented in this session.
Additional measures still in play involve proposed laws to permit and oversee in-flight sports betting on commercial flights that either start or conclude in Connecticut, a proposal that encounters significant challenges due to federal regulations. Another law pending in the Hartford capital would remove the prohibition on sports wagers concerning local colleges and universities.
Wagering Restrictions in Sports, Internet Poker
If approved by the General Assembly and enacted by Gov. Ned Lamont (D), SB1464 would establish "maximum sports wagers" for online betting. The law does not indicate the amount of that limit, but assigns Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan Cafferelli the responsibility “to create regulations setting maximum sports bets for online sports betting.”
The legislation would also permit peer-to-peer casino games online via the state's two licensed, regulated iGaming platforms, DraftKings and FanDuel. The leaders in iGaming have formed partnerships with the two federally acknowledged tribes of the state.
"Peer-to-peer casino game means a card game, contest, or tournament, including, but not limited to, a poker game, contest, or tournament in which patrons compete against one another and do not compete against the licensee operating such game,” the bill reads.
SB1464 would enable DraftKings and FanDuel, the online casino and mobile sportsbook affiliates of Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun respectively, to impose a fee, or rake, for organizing the interactive poker games.
As Connecticut has a population of 3.7 million, placing it 29th in the U.S., ensuring there are enough players for a strong, round-the-clock online poker scene is a concern. This is why SB1464 would grant Lamont the power to establish a player-sharing agreement with other states that have legal online poker.
The player liquidity requirement is expected to lead to Connecticut's participation in the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement. The framework at present includes five states that collaborate on online poker pools. The states are Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and West Virginia. Pennsylvania is contemplating joining as well, which would bring a surge of significant new participants to the pool.
Casino Bill Sweeps
As Connecticut lawmakers evaluate gaming expansion and consumer protections, they are also examining a bill to prohibit online sites that promote themselves as "sweepstakes" platforms, though critics argue they enable illegal gambling.
Senate Bill 1235 stipulates that individuals discovered to be engaging in unauthorized online gambling disguised as sweepstakes or promotional contests would face a Class D felony charge. An individual convicted of this offense faces a maximum prison term of five years and a fine of $5,000.