Is Online Poker Legal In Ct
- How To Play Online Poker In Connecticut
- Is Online Poker Legal In Ct Public
- Is Online Poker Legal In Ct State Of Connecticut
- Is Online Poker Legal In Ct Connecticut
Connecticut is a solid state for poker players. They have 2 well-known casinos that host poker games – one being Mohegan Sun, and the other being Foxwoods Casino, which is one of the largest casinos in the USA for poker with 380 tables.
- No, online poker isn’t legal in Connecticut. The General Statutes of Connecticut Section 53-278a defines poker as gambling. CT does not allow any forms of online gambling in its territory.
- Online Poker Law in Connecticut. As is the case for most American states, Connecticut has not yet taken on the issue of the legality of online poker play, but naturally there are some old bits of legislative language that could be used to prosecute online poker players, should the state choose to do so.
- Bovada holds a License for legal gaming. Several independent third parties also regulate them in order to ensure that their sports books and games are legit. Gamblers online have provided mixed messages on Bovada reviews. The website is rated at an overall 2 stars.
- Since online gambling is illegal in the state, however, they can only offer them for play money. SCCOG and the casinos stressed this fact to Lamont in attempting to convince him to legalize online gambling in Connecticut. They claim it would be an easy process to convert the existing social sites to real-money play.
And despite online poker technically being illegal, Connecticut is a forward thinking state in regards to poker. They have many legislators, Indian casino owners and other supports that back the eventual passing of a regulated online market.
Sound good? Read on to learn more.
Playing Poker In Connecticut So social poker playing for money is permitted, online poker playing for money is prohibited, and playing poker for money in non social settings is prohibited unless the play occurs at one of the two tribal casinos regulated by the state.
Playing Poker Legally in Connecticut
Is Online Poker Legal in Connecticut?
Online poker isn't specifically addressed. However, if you take into account Connecticut's transmission laws, you can assume that it’s probably not.
Sec. 53-278d. Transmission of gambling information.
(a) Any person who knowingly transmits or receives gambling information by telephone, telegraph, radio, semaphore or other means, or knowingly installs or maintains equipment for the transmission or receipt of gambling information, shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
And the Connecticut website refers to Section 53-278a (2) that states that any gambling activity in Connecticut is illegal unless otherwise authorized by law. That alone makes online poker illegal.
What About Home Poker Games?
Social gaming is specifically mentioned in Connecticut law. It's ok to run or participate in a home game so long as no one is profiting from running the game, but only from (playing against) other players.
Sec. 53-278b. Gambling; professional gambling; penalties.
How To Play Online Poker In Connecticut
(a) .... provided natural persons shall be exempt from prosecution and punishment under this subsection for any game, wager or transaction which is incidental to a bona fide social relationship, is participated in by natural persons only and in which no person is participating, directly or indirectly, in professional gambling.
Do Casinos in Connecticut Offer Poker?
Absolutely. Foxwoods Casino is a well-known casino owned by the Mashantucket Pequot tribe. Foxwoods runs lots of events, including the WSOP circuit.
In fact, the state receives 25 percent of the tribal casino revenue. In 2011, over $350 in revenue was brought in from Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. So it's safe to assume that the live poker scene won't be going anywhere.
Connecticut Poker FAQs
We receive a lot of questions about the legality of poker in Connecticut. Below you'll find those questions and our answers.
Will online poker be regulated in Connecticut?
There is a lot of optimism in Connecticut regarding the regulation of online poker. The Mashantucket Pequot tribe legislative ties have shown interest in regulation, which is unusual for Indian casinos, but nothing yet has been brought before legislature.
The downside to regulation in Connecticut (if you can call it that) is that the state is small. Intrastate poker would be difficult here because of the lack of traffic. That said, it's possible, likely even, that Connecticut would work with other states to increase player pools.
Is there an online poker room that accepts players from Connecticut?
Residents of Connecticut can play at any site that accepts US customers. A couple options include Bovada, BetOnline and Sportsbetting Poker.
What other forms of regulated gambling is offered in Connecticut?
Residents can bet on horse and dog races, off-track betting, bingo and the state lottery.
Jai-alai, a sport involving bouncing a ball in a walled space, can also be bet on in licensed areas.
Where can I read more about Connecticut poker laws?
- Connecticut State Gaming Division - http://www.ct.gov/dcp/cwp/view.asp?a=4107&q=480854
Is Online Poker Legal In Ct Public
Here are some interesting facts about gambling in Connecticut.
- Senior citizens organizations are allowed to operate bingo games without first obtaining a permit.
- Gambling losses over $1 that result from unlicensed gambling can be recovered via civil action within 3 months.
Sec. 52-553. Wagering contract void.
All wagers, and all contracts and securities of which the whole or any part of the consideration is money or other valuable thing won, laid or bet, at any game, horse race, sport or pastime, and all contracts to repay any money knowingly lent at the time and place of such game, race, sport or pastime, to any person so gaming, betting or wagering, or to repay any money lent to any person who, at such time and place, so pays, bets or wagers, shall be void, provided nothing in this section shall (1) affect the validity of any negotiable instrument held by any person who acquired the same for value and in good faith without notice of illegality in the consideration, or (2) apply to the sale of a raffle ticket pursuant to section 7-172.
Sec. 52-554. Recovery of money lost in gaming.
Any person who, by playing at any game, or betting on the sides or hands of such as play at any game, excluding any game permitted under chapter 226 or any activity not prohibited under the provisions of sections 53-278a to 53-278g, inclusive, loses the sum or value of one dollar in the whole and pays or delivers the same or any part thereof, may, within three months next following, recover from the winner the money or the value of the goods so lost and paid or delivered, with costs of suit in a civil action,
- Former Full Tilt Pro John D'Agostino is a professional poker player form Seymour, Connecticut. He finished 5th in the 2nd season of the World Poker Tour PokerStars Caribbean Poker Adventure event.
Is Online Poker Legal In Ct State Of Connecticut
Additional Gambling Law Reviews
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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. Her indeterminate answer, which basically stated “the issue is unresolved”, was delivered nearly one month after the ominous Black Friday of Online Poker, but before the US Department of Justice abruptly flipped its previous decision, declaring that individual states could decide their own fate in terms of online gambling legalization and regulation.
One might think that state law makers in Connecticut would be able to unravel the threads at that point, but such was not the case. American online poker players in The Nutmeg State have been waiting patiently (or not) for a definitive answer on the subject, but sitting by and watching other states like Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey pass online poker laws certainly hasn’t helped them achieve a more tolerant equanimity.
Legality of Online Poker Connecticut
When pursuing the government website of Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection, wherein lies the state’s comprised gambling laws, online poker enthusiasts are indeed immediately heartened to find a specific link entitled “FAQ – Internet Gambling”. Unfortunately, that inspirational moment, when one thinks – as I did – that the answers will be laid out right before their eyes in plain text, is nothing but a smoke cloud. The page in which that link leads speaks nothing whatsoever of online poker or gambling, much less the legalities of such. Ah, more confusion…
On the slightly brighter side, most of the other links do lead to their intended destinations. And with that in mind, we’ll detail the fundamental laws of gambling in Connecticut, what is and is not legal in general, and how those laws might be (mis)construed. We’ll also discuss briefly any legal documents in the works that might offer more decipherable online poker laws in Connecticut’s future.
Connecticut General Statutes – Gambling Laws
The following definitions are taken directly from the Connecticut General Statutes, Chapter 946, Section 53-278a-g.
Gambling; Accepted Activities: [it is not prohibited to advertise, operate or participate in] a state lottery, pari-mutuel betting at race tracks licensed by the state, off-track betting conducted by the state or a licensee authorized to operate the off-track betting system or a promotional drawing for a prize or prizes, conducted for advertising purposes by any person, firm or corporation other than a retail grocer or retail grocery chain, wherein members of the general public may participate without making any purchase or otherwise paying or risking credit, money, or any other tangible thing of value.
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, but does not include: Legal contests of skill, speed, strength or endurance in which awards are made only to entrants or the owners of entries… any lottery or contest conducted by or under the authority of any [possession, territory or] state of the United States…
Gain/Profit: “Gain” means the direct realization of winnings; “profit” means any other realized or unrealized benefit, direct or indirect, including without limitation benefits from proprietorship, management or unequal advantage in a series of transactions.
Transmission of Gambling Information: Any person who knowingly transmits or receives gambling information by telephone, telegraph, radio, semaphore or other means, or knowingly installs or maintains equipment for the transmission or receipt of gambling information, shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
Professional Gambling: means accepting or offering to accept, for profit, money, credits, deposits or other things of value risked in gambling, or any claim thereon or interest therein. [i.e. to gain anything of value from helping to provide a gambling service in any way possible, such as conducting a poker game and collecting a fixed share of the stakes, or merely promoting its existence.]
What does it all mean? Is online poker illegal in Connecticut?
Is Online Poker Legal In Ct Connecticut
That’s a very good question, because it doesn’t all add up too well. I’ve only listed those laws that have the most direct influence on the legalities of online poker. By these laws – and there are many, many more specifics relating to the verbose gambling laws of Connecticut, if anyone cares to read it all for themselves – we know that Connecticut permits certain forms of land-based gambling, including tribal casinos, pari-mutuel wagering, off-track betting, raffles, charitable games and the Connecticut State Lottery. According to the simple definition of what is accepted activity, for all intents and purpose, we must assume all else, as defined as Gambling, is illegal.
The definition of gambling clearly states the term “poker” among its categorically banned amusements, but then goes on to say that “legal games of skill” are permitted, adding even more confusion to the mix. Connecticut has labeled poker as an illegal activity, but by failing to define a game of skill as including or excluding poker, it must be interpreted as one of the illegal forms of gambling. Toss in the fact that a “gambling device” could easily be construed as any device that is used to access an internet gaming website (it doesn’t specifically say it, but then again, it doesn’t have to), and those two facts alone are enough to effectively criminalize online poker in Connecticut.
Is Connecticut working to regulate online poker?
Yet another mysterious fog overlays lawmaker’s plausible intentions to regulate online poker in Connecticut. It’s been a bit of a slow-motion tennis match in that regard. Barney Frank’s original bill, HR 2267, introduced in 2009 to support federal regulation of online gambling was co-sponsored by Connecticut’s own Joe Courtney (D), John Larson (D), Christopher Murphy (D).
Then in 2012, it was made known that officials in The Nutmeg State had no interesting in the regulation of online poker and other forms of internet gambling. But while officials may have shown little enthusiasm, the tribal casino agencies that operate in the state were all too keen on giving their support. In a discussion regarding the fact that, legal/regulated or not, citizens of Connecticut were in fact able to log on and place wagers at online poker sites, the Mohegans chief of staff for external and governmental affairs, Charles Bunnell, stated, “we strongly support the regulation of internet gaming in Connecticut and the United States.” That was in February of 2012, and nothing noteworthy has surfaced in the headlines since.