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Read Full BioThe Connecticut Senate’s General Law Committee unanimously passed SB 1235 by a vote of 22-0 on Monday. The bill would ban sweepstakes gaming operators and prohibit lottery ticket resales and ticket courier services in the Constitution State.
SB 1235 modifies the Commissioner of Consumer Protection’s disciplinary authority concerning certain gaming licensees, requires vendor and affiliate licensees to provide books and records, prohibits certain advertising, and authorizes certain bets and wagers on boxing and mixed martial arts.
More importantly, SB 1235 states that “certain persons conducting sweepstakes or promotional drawings shall not allow or facilitate participation in certain real or simulated online casino gaming or sports wagering.”
The bill also makes operating an illegal gambling business a Class D felony. Those crimes are punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Since Connecticut already has legal online casinos, lawmakers have decided to finally crack down on the free-to-play, casino-style gaming model.
Connecticut General Law Committee Passed SB 1464
The General Law Committee also passed SB 1464, which would authorize online gaming operators to conduct multijurisdictional Internet gaming for peer-to-peer casino games, ensure proper compliance reporting and disclosure requirements, and establish maximum wagers for online sports betting.
A sweepstakes casino is an online gaming platform that operates under a legal framework in gray area. These casinos offer players a chance to participate in online casino games and win prizes using a promotional sweepstakes model. Instead of real money, they use a virtual currency, typically Gold Coins (GC) and Sweeps Coins (SC).
Three states where sweepstakes casinos are legal while online sports betting isn’t include California, Georgia, and Texas. There are technically 48 legal sweepstakes states, as Washington and Idaho are the only two jurisdictions where its officially banned.
Lawmakers in Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, and New York are also pursuing a sweepstakes gaming ban.
New Jersey assembly bill A5447, introduced by Democrat Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese, calls for penalties of up to $250,000 for every day that a prohibited service is offered, such as sweepstakes gaming.
