A proposal to legalize in-state college team wagering is among new bills Connecticut's state legislature is considering. The state's legislative session officially began on Jan. 8. One legislator has been busy filing sports betting bill proposals.
Representative Tony Scott (R) of the 112th District introduced five sports betting bills, which look to improve transparency and fairness in the state’s nascent gambling sector.
The Constitution State legalized both retail and online sports betting in 2021. Now, with a few years of experience under its belt, Connecticut's legislature may consider some adjustments to its sports betting provisions.
Connecticut’s proposed sports betting tweaks
First and foremost, Proposed Bill No. 5563 allows wagering on intercollegiate teams. Like many states, Connecticut prohibits in-state college team betting. The provision's primary goal is to remove any incentive that might jeopardize the integrity of the game.
The reality, however, is residents can already hop across the state's border to place bets on Connecticut college teams. So, why not collect the revenue in-state? Meanwhile, there's far less incentive for an athlete to shave points or throw a game now that NIL (name, image, and likeness) payments are available at the college level.
Proposed Bill No. 5778 requires two-way markets for all sports bets. In other words, if you bet the Chiefs make a field goal in the first quarter of their upcoming game against the Bills, then you should be able to bet they won’t. Sportsbooks would need to offer both sides of an offered bet.
Proposed Bill No. 5565 establishes opt-outs for sports bettors. This responsible gaming provision lets bettors opt-out of viewing certain sports or types of sports bets.
Proposed Bill No. 5779 requires sportsbooks to rectify any known errors before the start of a sporting event by correcting the error, canceling bets impacted by it, and fully refunding the associated wagers. Meanwhile, Proposed Bill No. 5564 sets a maximum hold percentage.
The U.S. sports betting bill horizon
Clearly, there are bigger sports betting bills in the offing. For instance, Mississippi is making another attempt to legalize online sports betting and pari-mutuel wagering. And Georgia is likely to try – once again – to pass a bill to legalize sports betting this year.
Even so, the Connecticut sports betting market still has a lot on the line. So far, the state's done a good job nurturing this fledgling industry. In 2024, sports betting generated $25.8 million in state tax revenue – a more than $6 million increase over the previous year. The last thing it wants to do is jeopardize that progress.
These particular bill proposals, though, seem likely to improve transparency and protection, without disrupting either bettors or providers. Of course, the bills still have a long road ahead before they can become law.
