A bill in Connecticut that proposes a ban on sweepstakes casinos and lottery couriers will go before the full Senate for consideration. Senate Bill 1235 cleared the Legislative Commissioner’s Office on Monday, after being introduced in February this year.
It was unanimously approved 22-0 in the General Law Committe in March before a 37-0 vote in favor in the Judiciary Committee last month. It has now been assigned to the Senate calendar for discussion.
The bill will prohibit lottery ticket resales by third-parties and also not allow sweepstakes or promotional drawings to facilitate “real or simulated online casino gaming or sports wagering”. In addition, the bill also proposes some expansion of legal betting options, including betting on Connecticut college teams, and allowing the Governor to authorize multijurisdictional gaming compacts.
The latter could see Connecticut joining up with other states such as New Jersey, Michigan, and most recently Pennsylvania in offering multi-state poker.
Banning lottery couriers
The bill is explicit about a full ban on lottery couriers, stating “No person shall operate a ticket courier service in this state.”
Other states have also moved to ban lottery couriers, most notably Texas, after a 2023 scandal that saw a group use couriers to effectively rig the lottery outcome for profit. A Texas Senator this week called for an outright abolishment of lotteries in the state due to the scandal.
California and Florida have already banned the use of lottery couriers and a bill making progress in Indiana also proposes to prohibit ticket sales by third parties.
Prohibit sweepstakes casinos
The bill also targets sweepstakes casinos that have seen an exponential rise in recent years. Connecticut legalized online casinos in 2021 and residents can gamble through FanDuel and DraftKings casino apps after they partnered with two of the state’s land-based casinos.
The two online sportsbooks generated $375 million in revenue from casino games in Connecticut in the first quarter of 2025. Overall, the state collected $60 million in tax revenue from online gambling last year and seeks to protect the licensed industry by clamping down on unlicensed operators.
Sweepstakes casinos operate by using a dual-currency system to allow players to play casino games using virtual currencies. The bill looks to prohibit this activity and defines operating an illegal gambling business as a Class D felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Expansion of betting
The bill also proposes the expansion of gambling in some areas. Connecticut sports betting was also legalized in 2021, but it prohibits betting on some college sports. The bill proposes allowing bets on college matches in which Connecticut teams are competing, but not on matches involving the state’s colleges.
In addition, the bill looks to formally authorize betting on boxing and MMA. Although betting on these sports is already available in the state, the bill looks to write into legislation the rules that apply to other sports betting. If these are not followed, then the bill would prohibit bets.
Another feature of the bill is to offer the state an opportunity to join multi-state gambling platforms. If passed, the bill will allow Connecticut’s Governor to sign deals to authorize multijurisdictional peer-to-peer online casino games, including slots, blackjack, roulette, poker and video poker, bingo, live dealer, and other peer-to-peer games.
This has the potential for Connecticut to join the expanding multi-state poker scene. Pennsylvania recently joined up, and as more states join it allows players to compete for higher prizes in online poker tournaments.
The legislative session will end in Connecticut on June 4th, so the bill has until then to be passed in the Senate and then the House.
Adam is an experienced writer with years of experience in the gambling industry. He has worked as a content writer and editor for five years on sites such as Oddschecker, CoinTelegraph and Gambling Industry News, bringing excellent knowledge of the world of sports betting and online gambling. Adam focuses on emerging stories in the ever changing landscape of betting in the US. Read the latest on prediction markets, changing legislation, and sweepstakes.
