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Connecticut Internet Gaming Rules Approved and Effective

Written by Jennifer Newell
Last updated on
Connecticut

Connecticut Secretary of State Denise Merrill’s website indicates that igaming regulations are in full effect. The “regulation making record” pertains to online casino gaming, retail and online sports wagering, fantasy contests, keno, and the online sale of lottery tickets. And included in the online casino gaming is peer-to-peer gaming, which is online poker.

What this means is that the regulatory structure for everything from licensing to responsible gambling protocols is done. The governor and state legislature approved them.

The next step is for the action to begin. Some of the work for sports betting operators has already been done, and land-based operators appear ready to launch.

It seems that only one approval is still pending. The United States Government’s Bureau of Indian Affairs, which is a part of the US Department of the Interior, must approve the updated compacts with the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut and Mashantucket Pequot Tribe.

It’s almost there…

Regulations Done

Thus far, the process has been fairly quick, especially by the standards set by other states and their igaming processes to date. Connecticut had been discussing online gaming and sports betting legalization for years, but the legislature finally approved a bill this year. And when Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed it into law on May 27, 2021, the biggest hurdles were in the past.

The next move was up to Connecticut Secretary of State Denise Merrill’s office. Under her oversight, the state’s Department of Consumer Protections and Commissioner Michelle Seagull set about drafting emergency regulations for the new industry. State-regulated online gaming, sports betting, fantasy sports, keno, and online lottery ticket sales needed a full set of regulations to move forward with licensing and operator launches.

Seagull received approval from Governor Lamont to implement the regulations in such an expedient manner by deeming them “emergency regulations.” This bypassed some of the red tape. Those processes will eventually happen, but the emergency set of regulations will make that formality simpler going forward.

Lamont’s approval in mid-August prompted Seagull to send the regulations to the Legislation Regulation Review Committee (LRRC) for Connecticut. That agency approved the 84-page emergency regulation document on August 31.

The final document is an exciting read of regulatory details, every teeny-tiny requirement from license applicants and advertisers. For those who find this information riveting, the final draft is online.

Just One More Thing

The Office of the Secretary of State received the final copy, set with an effective date of September 7, 2021. That makes it official.

But hold up, wait a minute (as every rapper in the history of music would say).

There is one approval still pending. The compacts for the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribes had been updated as a part of the entire process of legalizing online gaming and sports betting. And those new compacts require the final approval from the federal government, specifically the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) within the US Department of the Interior.

Heading up that federal agency is Secretary Deb Haaland, approved by Congress earlier this year and now the first Native American to ever serve in a cabinet secretary position. She hails from the Pueblo of Laguna in New Mexico. Most analysts expect Haaland to approve the Connecticut gaming compact changes to allow the two tribes in the state to increase their scope of gambling offerings.

It appears, however, that she may not need to official sign off on the new compacts. BIA can allow the document to run out its 45-day review window without action. In that case, the compacts will be automatically approved. Since Lamont submitted them on July 27, that 45-day period ends on or around September 10.

We reached out to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for information regarding the status of the regulations and await a response.

Once that final approval is in, retail sports betting is likely the first sector of the new industry to launch. Online lottery games may not be far behind, but just as with online casino and sports betting sites, there can be a significant period of testing involved. There is a chance for websites to launch by the end of 2021, as the tribes are anxious to move the process along.

Specifically regarding online poker, and as far as we know, no poker operators have yet expressed an interest in or initiated conversations with the Mashantucket Pequots or Mohegans in Connecticut.

 

 

 

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