Is Online Poker Legal In Ct

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There’s a deal between the Lamont administration and the Mohegan Tribe that would dramatically expand gambling in Connecticut, from sports wagering to gambling on your cell phone, from poker to.

Last December, a Connecticut lawmaker said that “You can bet on” sports betting becoming a legal activity in 2021. On Wednesday, the state’s governor echoed those sentiments and made it seem. The answer is that yes, there are legal sites that Connecticut poker players can join to play on the Internet. However, it is important to note that these sites will not be state or federally regulated. The sites that we have in mind which are legal, are located outside of the U.S.

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Disentangling the online poker laws in Connecticut is an incredibly difficult task; one that even the chief analyst at the state’s Office of Legislative Research, Veronica Rose, could not answer with any assertive composure when asked in 2011 if online poker is legal in Connecticut. Connecticut Online Poker Law capped at $100. Connecticut Online Poker Law The no deposit spins will be valid for 7 days. A minimum deposit is required Connecticut Online Poker Law to claim each match bonus and extra spins bonus. Deposit bonuses and free spins bonus winnings must be wagered 35x.

Relevant state code: 112-557 et seq.; 53-278a et seq.

Connecticut falls in the wide middle of US states when it comes to gambling law. There are several legal, regulated forms of gambling in Connecticut, but with that wide variety comes a set of fairly strict laws with regards to unlicensed gambling. As with most states that play host to regulated gambling, the legal definition of gambling in Connecticut is very broad:

Section 53-278a
'Gambling' means risking any money, credit, deposit or other thing of value for gain contingent in whole or in part upon lot, chance or the operation of a gambling device, including the playing of a casino gambling game such as blackjack, poker, craps, roulette or a slot machine

PokerLegal

This definition is one of only a handful that mentions poker specifically. As opposed to some other states that employ the dominant factor test when distinguishing between games of skill and chance, Connecticut appears to view any chance ('in whole or in part') inherent in an activity as sufficient to classify that activity as gambling - assuming that wagering is involved.

The majority of penalties in Connecticut gambling law are reserved for those that operate unlicensed gambling businesses or assist in the operation or advancement of such businesses. Illegal gambling on the part of a player is a class B misdemeanor in Connecticut, although we were unable to uncover any prosecutions of players by Connecticut officials in our research.

Is Any Gambling Legal Under Connecticut Law?

Yes. Connecticut allows various types of parimutuel betting on horse and dog racing. Off-track betting and wagering on out-of-state racing is permitted. Pequot and Mohegan tribes are allowed to operate casinos in Connecticut and offer a full range of games, including slots.

Social gambling is expressly permitted under Connecticut law. To qualify as social gambling, participants must have a relationship beyond the gambling event and no one can profit from the operation of the game. So, a home poker game among friends with no rake or charge would likely be legal; a game run out of a bar that takes a rake would be illegal.

Charitable gaming in the form of licensed bingo, sealed tickets and raffles is legal in Connecticut. Learn more about the state's policies and procedures for charitable gambling at the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection website.

Is Playing Poker Legal in Connecticut?

Is Online Poker Legal In Ct

Players taking part in a poker game at a licensed tribal casino such as Foxwoods or in a social context where no one is profiting from the business of operating the game are not in violation of Connecticut law.

Is Online Poker Legal In Ct

Otherwise, playing poker for anything of value is expressly illegal in the state, thanks to the inclusion of poker in Connecticut's legal definition of gambling. For more reading on this topic, visit this 2007 report prepared by the Connecticut Office of Legislative Research.

Are Online Poker Sites Legal in Connecticut?

Current law makes no mention of online gambling or online poker sites. The only official position of the Connecticut government on this issue appears to be expressed on the Department of Consumer Protection website, which asserts that online gambling is illegal based on the theory that any form of gambling not expressly authorized by Connecticut law is illegal by default.

Is online poker legal in connecticut

Connecticut also has a 'transmission' law which makes it illegal to send or receive information (or to maintain or install equipment used to sending or receiving information) 'with respect to any wager made in the course of, and any information intended to be used for, professional gambling.' This law would seem to clearly prohibit online casino and sportsbook wagers, but how such laws might apply to poker is a much murkier area.

Short version: Gambling online is likely technically illegal under Connecticut law for both the player and the poker site. With the uncertainty surrounding the issue, it appears highly unlikely that any individual poker player would be prosecuted under current law.

Connecticut Gambling Law - Fun Facts

Wagering on Jai-alai in a licensed environment is legal under Connecticut law.

Gambling losses over $1 that result from unlicensed gambling can be recovered via civil action.

Senior citizens organizations are allowed to operate bingo games without first obtaining a permit.

Connecticut and Online Gambling: Current Developments

Connecticut appears to be in the early stages of considering online gambling regulation. While there has yet to be a formal bill proposed, the Governor's Office recently called online gambling in Connecticut 'inevitable' and Foxwoods, the largest Indian casino in the state, has indicated that they're interested in advancing regulation of online gambling.

Will Regulated Online Poker Come to Connecticut?

Residents of Connecticut should feel fairly optimistic about the chances for regulated online poker sites in their state within the next few years. While the state itself has a relatively small potential player pool amongst its roughly 3.5 million residents, poker is quite popular in Connecticut thanks largely to Foxwoods' reputation as a poker mecca for the East Coast.

Amplifying those favorable conditions: There appears to be at least some legislative support for regulation, and the Mashantucket Pequot tribe (owners of Foxwoods) appear motivated to embrace online gambling regulation.

Can You Play Online Poker In Connecticut

Given the national reach and influence of the Mashantucket Pequot tribe, one would expect Connecticut to focus more on developing an interstate online poker network than to settle for a relatively small intrastate poker room with only limited financial potential.