Connecticut Bill Would Expand ADW Horse Racing Betting

A new piece of legislation would amend the rules governing advanced deposit wagering (ADW) in Connecticut. The bill, SB 134, would eliminate the following passage from Section 12-572b:

(1) No person or business organization, other than the authorized operator of the off-track betting system, shall conduct off-track betting in the state or accept off-track betting wagers or advance deposit wagers originating or placed from within the boundaries of the state.

Sportech is currently licensed to offer ADW betting in Connecticut through its MyWinners.com site. However, several other operators are also active in the state. The new bill would bring these other ADW horse racing betting sites (which include TwinSpires and TVG) under the licensing umbrella.

The Connecticut horse racing betting legislation was introduced on February 18. It has no listed sponsors.

A public hearing on the bill is scheduled for February 22, 2022, and you can expect Sportech to oppose the change, as it believes it has exclusive rights to the market. As SBC Americas reported in 2019:

According to McGuire, Sportech’s management has continued its lobbying and communications efforts for enforcement of protections of its exclusive Advance Deposit Wagering (ADW) licence in Connecticut.

Two Other Connecticut Gambling Bills

The Joint Public Safety and Security Committee is also considering two other gambling-related bills.

Connecticut Gambling Impact Study

SB 140 would mandate a report studying the effects of legalized gambling in the state by January 2023 and repeat these reports within a ten-year period. In effect, the legislation forces the state to study the impact of gambling expansion by January 2023 and at least every ten years after that. The bill also allows the Governor to continue to request additional reports from “time to time.”

Connecticut already makes annual reports, with the scope of these reports being:

• a statement of the receipts and disbursements of the department,
• a statement of the costs of administering the department,
• a summary of [its] the department’s activities, and
• any additional information and recommendations that the commissioner may deem of value or which the Governor may request.

The impact study makes perfect sense with the expansions of gambling last year, particularly the online casino, sports betting, and lottery elements.

Connecticut Greyhound Racing Ban

HB 5174 would prohibit greyhound racing in the Nutmeg State. The legislation amends existing legislation to exclude greyhound racing from language regarding licenses and include greyhound racing in banned events.

Greyhound racing hasn’t taken place in Connecticut for many years. Connecticut’s greyhound tracks (Plainfield and Shoreline Star) closed in 2005 and 2006, respectively, but the state is one of four where the activity is still legal.