The<\/b> first form of gambling<\/b> in Connecticut was harness racing, dating back to the 19th century. It appeared in 1876 and remained unregulated for the next 100 years. Once the 20th century began, the state decided to legalize a few forms of gambling. Thus, bingo was approved in 1939, but only for charitable purposes. In 1955, the state expanded the scope of charitable gambling and added bazaars and ruffles to the mix.<\/p>\n
The year 1971 saw the legalization of the Connecticut lottery<\/b> and pari-mutuel wagering on sports that featured this betting system. However, in 1976, this pari-mutuel law was extended to include off-track wagering, and horse and greyhound racing and jai alai were legalized.<\/p>\n
One of the two federally-recognized Native American tribes in the state, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, opened a bingo parlor in 1986<\/b>. The court ruled that the parlor could operate on sovereign Native American land as a for-profit enterprise, which was different from charitable bingo.<\/p>\n
Thanks to the Indian Gambling Regulatory Act (IGRA) of 1988<\/b>, the parlor became a casino and started offering table games, including poker<\/b>. Finally, the first land-based gambling venue, Foxwoods Casino, opened its doors in 1993<\/b>, and another, Mohegan Sun, followed suit in 1996.<\/b><\/p>\n
Connecticut decided to legalize online casinos,<\/b> poker rooms, and sports betting in May 2021. Although this showed the state\u2019s pro-gambling stance, things have been going slowly poker-wise<\/b>. This is why many poker players visit sweepstakes sites or play at offshore casinos.<\/p>\nPoker Laws<\/h3>\n
After learning about CT gambling laws, let\u2019s check where you can play online and land-based poker. In the following sections, we will examine both topics in more detail.<\/p>\n After flirting with online gambling legislation for some time, Governor Ned Lamont decided to sign House Bill 6451 in May 2021<\/b>, making Connecticut the seventh state to legalize online casinos<\/b>. The ruling also pertains to sports wagering and poker rooms.<\/p>\n But before this law became a reality, the state had to reach an agreement with the two local Indian tribes<\/b> \u2014 Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan. Since they have a monopoly on gambling and run the only two brick-and-mortar casinos in the state, they were granted exclusive rights to offer all forms of online gambling<\/b>.<\/p>\n Under the bill, each tribe can launch one site for online casinos<\/b> and one for sports betting. But when it comes to online poker, tribes are only allowed to have one gambling partner,<\/b> so future poker rooms cannot be launched independently from online casinos.<\/p>\n This sounds like great news for CT poker players, but the reality is different. While sports betting is flourishing and three major operators launched their websites, online poker still awaits its turn<\/b>. The main reason why this is happening is Connecticut\u2019s small population<\/b> of only a little over 3.5 million, which makes its gambling market less appealing<\/b> to potential providers.<\/p>\n Experts argue that the Constitution State would solve this issue if it entered the Multi-State Internet Gambling Agreement (MSIGA)<\/b>. They state there is little chance that online poker will ever be regulated without shared liquidity<\/b>. Signing this agreement would also boost the player pool <\/b>significantly and attract the stakeholders\u2019 attention.<\/p>\n Another thing that they also speculate about is who would be the first candidate to apply for the license and launch its platform. Currently, FanDuel has the best chance<\/b>, simply for being owned by Flutter (the PokerStars parent company). For this reason, Connecticut players cannot currently participate in any interstate online poker action.<\/p>\n Until online poker gets going, CT poker players are staying busy and frequently visiting sweepstakes sites.<\/b> These poker platforms are legal as they use two virtual currencies<\/b> \u2014 sweeps and gold coins.<\/p>\n Gold coins have no monetary value, but by purchasing them, you accumulate sweeps coins<\/b>, which you can also receive through giveaways or mail. Once you are satisfied with the accrued amount, you can convert it to US dollars<\/b>.<\/p>\n Another alternative is offshore casinos<\/b>. They operate in the gray area <\/b>in the Constitution State. State laws don\u2019t explicitly prohibit them, but they also don\u2019t exactly encourage them. Offshore sites have a long history in CT, and players are particularly fond of them.<\/p>\n Most offshore sites are licensed, and the best ones come with excellent gaming options<\/b>, lucrative bonuses, and many other perks. Plus, they cater to CT players<\/b> and host frequent poker tournaments<\/b>. If you are interested in giving one of them a go, browse our list of the top-rated ones at the beginning of this page.<\/p><\/div>\nMy list of the best poker sites which I consider to be the best rooms to play in 2024:<\/strong>![\"Law\"](\"\/images\/icons\/icon-law.png\" "\\"Laws"){kind=icon}
Like anywhere in the world, laws are a highly sensitive matter in Connecticut, too, and we cannot interpret them as we see fit. Thus, it is advisable to read them carefully. To get familiar will all the CT gambling-related legislation<\/b>, check out the following:<\/p>\n\n
<\/i> Best Legal Poker Rooms in Connecticut<\/span><\/h2>\n
Legal Online Poker in Connecticut<\/h3>
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