Connecticut’s legislature is continuing to consider a series of gaming-related measures.
The Legislative Commissioners’ Office of the Connecticut General Assembly is considering three gaming-related bills to cross its desk this week following successful public hearings and favorable recommendations by the state’s Joint Committee on General Law.
Last month, the General Law Committee filed Senate Bill 1235 as a measure that aimed to ban lottery ticket resales and ticket courier services. SB 1235 also proposed a ban on real or simulated online casino gaming or sports wagering for sweepstakes operators.
General Law Committee filed the measure rather than an individual sponsor. It garnered initial support in the Senate with a joint favorable substitute unanimously voted by the committee leading to its filing with the commissioners’ office.
The committee approved the bill as a joint favorable substitute.
The amendments to SB 1235 included a requirement for a hearing prior to a license suspension, setting a maximum “rake” for online poker games and authorizing the governor to enter into multi-jurisdictional deals to host peer-to-peer online casino games. Updates to civil penalty language and definitions pertaining to online gambling ads were also approved.
SB 1235’s fate in 2025 now rests in the hands of the Legislative Commissioners’ Office.
Potential betting limit in Connecticut
The commissioner’s office will also consider Senate Bill 1464 as it passed in the General Law Committee by a 21-0 vote.
The measure proposes limiting the maximum amount of money that sports bettors can place on a wager. SB 1464 also allows operators to conduct multi-jurisdictional P2P online casino games with authorization by the state’s governor.
It also requires a toll-free telephone number to be created for problem gambling. SB 1464 has been reported out of the General Law Committee without amendments.
Connecticut Committee bill also moves forward
Committee Bill 5271 was referred to the Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis after passing through the Commissioners’ Office earlier this month.
The measure proposes a ban on publishing, airing, displaying or disseminating gambling ads and marketing on the campuses of state public universities and colleges. CB 5271’s ban applies to gambling ads on websites, online services, social media platforms, and apps.
The rule would apply to the Connecticut State University System of six institutions.
The General Law Committee also introduced CB 5271 after State Rep. David Rutigliano filed a similar bill in January that garnered support from several lawmakers in the state.
