Online Gaming in Connecticut

Under the General Statutes of Connecticut, any gambling activity in Connecticut is illegal unless that specific type of gambling activity is authorized by law. The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection is responsible for licensing, permitting and monitoring all forms of gambling within the state of Connecticut.

In December 2012, Winners Connecticut OTB, owned by worldwide sports betting company Sportech, was granted approval from the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection to offer online pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing in Connecticut. The approval fell under Sportech's existing license with the state to provide pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing, greyhound racing and jai alai in Connecticut.

In June 2012, online pari-mutuel horse race betting officially launched at mywinners.com. The site is fully licensed in the state of Connecticut and offers advance deposit wagering to all residents of the state.

In February 2013, Mohegan Sun, one of two licensed tribal casinos in Connecticut, launched the free-to-play online poker site www.mohegansunpoker.com.

In 2014, Foxwoods Resort Casino, which is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, launched a virtual currency site. The site can be turned into a real-money online casino if online gaming is legalized.

Governor Dannel Malloy signed a budget bill in October 2017 containing provisions for the legalization and regulation of daily fantasy sports. However, tribal approval must be obtained before any changes can take place. The bill advises the regulatory body to adopt regulations before 1 July 2018, which it failed to do. With the state and tribes more focused on sports betting, online gambling was pushed to the back burner in 2018, and remains a long shot to be legalized in 2019.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, the tribes made a plea for a special executive order to allow online gambling, but were denied. In early 2021, SB.146 was introduced to authorize sports wagering, online casino gaming, online lottery and online keno. On 12 April 2021, the bill went to the Senate alongside its complimentary bills – HB.6451 outlining the tribal agreement for consumer protections for sports betting, and SB.570 to build the Bridgeport casino and sportsbook. Online poker was not specifically mentioned in the 2021 bills.

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