Connecticut Statewide Rule

Connecticut Legalizes Sports Wagering Under CGS 12-853

Significant RestrictionsApplies statewide across Connecticut (2026)

Key Facts

Tax rate: 13.75% of gross gaming revenue (§ 12-867)
Minimum age: 21, verified by geolocation (§ 12-863(a)(1))
Licensed operators: CT Lottery, Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, Mohegan Tribe
Online skins: PlaySugarHouse, DraftKings, and FanDuel
Retail cap: Up to 15 Lottery locations, 25 miles from reservations
Regulator: DCP Commissioner of Consumer Protection, Gaming Division
Max fine: $25,000 per violation (§ 12-862)

Last verified: August 21, 2026

Summary

Connecticut only allows sports wagering through state-licensed operators: the Connecticut Lottery Corporation and the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes, each running one online "skin" plus up to fifteen retail Lottery locations. The Department of Consumer Protection's Commissioner issues and polices the licenses under C.G.S. § 12-853. Bettors must be 21 or older and located in Connecticut; anything outside these licensed channels is unlawful.

(a) ...the commissioner may issue a master wagering license to the Connecticut Lottery Corporation to permit the corporation to: (1) Operate retail sports wagering, pursuant to the provisions of sections 12-854 to 12-865, inclusive, and section 12-867, as applicable, at not more than fifteen facilities located throughout the state, provided no such facility shall be located within twenty-five miles of either tribe's reservation... and (2) Operate one skin for online sports wagering outside the reservation of either tribe, pursuant to the provisions of sections 12-855 to 12-865, inclusive, and section 12-867, as applicable...

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Full Breakdown

Connecticut legalized sports wagering through Public Act 21-23 (2021), codified at Chapter 229b of the General Statutes, after the state renegotiated its gaming compacts with the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes. §§ 12-852, 12-853). Each licensee gets one "skin", one online sportsbook platform, for use outside the issuing tribe's reservation; in practice that's PlaySugarHouse for the Lottery, DraftKings for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe (Foxwoods), and FanDuel for the Mohegan Tribe (Mohegan Sun). The Lottery may also run in-person sports wagering at up to fifteen retail locations statewide, none within twenty-five miles of either tribe's reservation (§ 12-853(a)(1)).

A bettor must be at least 21 and physically located in Connecticut when the wager is placed for it to count as lawful sports wagering under § 12-863(a)(1), licensed apps geofence every bet to confirm both. 75 percent of their gross gaming revenue from sports wagering monthly, due by the fifteenth of the month following the month in which it was earned (§ 12-867). The DCP Commissioner enforces the regime under § 12-862, with authority to suspend or revoke a master wagering license and fine a licensee up to $25,000 per violation for false statements, fraud, or noncompliance with the chapter.

Betting through any operator outside these three licenses, including offshore or unlicensed apps, is not authorized sports wagering under Connecticut law, and DCP has issued cease-and-desist orders against unlicensed online gambling operators taking Connecticut bets.

Violations & Penalties

Operating sports wagering without one of Connecticut's three master wagering licenses is unauthorized gambling; DCP has issued cease-and-desist orders against unlicensed online operators taking bets from Connecticut residents. For a licensee, § 12-862 lets the Commissioner suspend or revoke the license and impose fines of up to $25,000 per violation for false applications, fraud, or failing to cooperate with an investigation. A wager placed by someone under 21, or from outside Connecticut, is not valid sports wagering under § 12-863(a)(1), and licensed platforms must block it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is legally allowed to take sports bets in Connecticut?

Only three entities hold master wagering licenses from the DCP Commissioner: the Connecticut Lottery Corporation, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, and the Mohegan Tribe of Indians (C.G.S. §§ 12-852, 12-853). Each runs one online sportsbook skin, PlaySugarHouse, DraftKings, and FanDuel, respectively, plus the Lottery's retail counters. Any other operator taking Connecticut bets, including offshore sites, isn't licensed and can be hit with a DCP cease-and-desist order.

How old do I have to be to bet on sports in Connecticut?

You must be at least 21 to place a legal sports wager in Connecticut, whether in person or online. Section 12-863(a)(1) ties the wagering authorization to bettors who have attained the age of twenty-one, and licensed apps use geolocation to confirm both age eligibility and that you're physically inside the state before accepting a bet.

How much tax does Connecticut collect on sports betting?

Master wagering licensees pay the state 13.75 percent of their gross gaming revenue from online and retail sports wagering, deposited into the General Fund under C.G.S. § 12-867. Payments are due monthly, by the fifteenth day of the month following the month in which the revenue was earned.

What happens if I use an unlicensed sportsbook app?

Betting through a platform that doesn't hold one of Connecticut's three master wagering licenses isn't authorized sports wagering under state law. The Department of Consumer Protection has issued cease-and-desist orders against unlicensed online gambling operators, and a licensee that violates the chapter's rules faces fines up to $25,000 per violation or license revocation under § 12-862.

Sources

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