AN ACT CONCERNING GAMING.

Substitute House Bill No. 5229

Public Act No. 26-53

AN ACT CONCERNING GAMING.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (c) of section 12 -863 of the 2026 supplement to
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu
thereof (Effective July 1, 2026):
(c) A master wagering licensee and a licensed online gaming
operator, online gaming service provider and sports wagering retailer
shall each, where applicable based on the services provided:
(1) Prohibit an individual from establishing more than one account
on each electronic wagering platform operated by the licensee;
(2) Limit a person to the use of only one debit card or only one credit
card for an account, and place a monetary limit on the use of a credit
card over a period of time, provided single-use stored value instruments
purchased by cash or debit card only, including, but not limited to, a gift
card or a lottery terminal printed value voucher, may be used pursuant
to subdivision (3) of subsection (d) of section 12-853;
(3) Allow a person to limit the amount of money that may be
deposited into an account, and spent per day through an account;
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(4) Provide that any money in an online account belongs solely to the
owner of the account and may be withdrawn by the owner;
(5) Establish a voluntary self -exclusion process to allow a person to
(A) exclude himself or herself from establishing an account, (B) exclude
himself or herself from placing wagers through an account, or (C) limit
the amount such person may spend using such an account;
(6) Establish a toll -free telephone number to enable a person to
receive assistance from the licensee, which may include a prerecorded
message routing persons to online assistance, to resolve any problem
the person is experiencing with an electronic wageri ng platform
operated by the licensee;
[(6)] (7) Provide responsible gambling and problem gambling
information to participants; and
[(7)] (8) Conspicuously display on each applicable Internet web site
or mobile application:
(A) A link to a description of the provisions of this subsection;
(B) A link to responsible gambling information;
(C) The toll -free telephone number established pursuant to
subdivision (6) of this subsection;
[(C)] (D) A toll -free telephone number an individual may use to
obtain information about problem gambling;
[(D)] (E) A link to information about the voluntary self -exclusion
process described in subdivision (5) of this subsection;
[(E)] (F) A clear display or periodic pop-up message of the amount of
time an individual has spent on the operator's Internet web site or
mobile application;
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[(F)] (G) A means to initiate a break in play to discourage excessive
play; and
[(G)] (H) A clear display of the amount of money available to the
individual in his or her account.
Sec. 2. Subsection (e) of section 12 -863 of the 2026 supplement to the
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu
thereof (Effective July 1, 2026):
(e) Advertising, marketing and other promotional materials
published, aired, displayed or disseminated by or on behalf of any
gaming entity licensee shall:
(1) Not depict an individual who is, or appears to be, under twenty -
one years of age, unless such individual is a professional athlete or a
collegiate athlete who, if permitted by applicable law, is able to profit
from the use of his or her name and likeness;
(2) Not be aimed exclusively or primarily at individuals under
twenty-one years of age, or at individuals under eighteen years of age if
pertaining exclusively to keno, online lottery ticket sales or fantasy
contests, or any combination thereof;
(3) Not be published, aired, displayed or disseminated, if pertaining
exclusively to keno, online lottery ticket sales or fantasy contests, or any
combination thereof, (A) as part of any television program aimed
exclusively or primarily at individuals unde r eighteen years of age, as
determined according to a nationally recognized voluntary television
content rating system designed to help parents make informed choices
regarding the television content viewed by their children, or (B) as part
of any advertisi ng, marketing or other promotional campaign
interspersed during any television program described in subparagraph
(A) of this subdivision;
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[(3)] (4) Not directly advertise, target or promote Internet games or
retail sports wagering to specific individuals, rather than a general
audience, who are excluded pursuant to a self -exclusion process as
described in subdivision (5) of subsection (c) of this section, through
methods, including, but not limited to, electronic mail, telephone calls,
text messages, direct messaging applications, mail and social media;
[(4)] (5) State that individuals shall be eighteen or twenty -one years
of age or older, as applicable, to participate in the type of gaming
advertised, marketed or promoted;
[(5)] (6) Not contain images, symbols, celebrity or entertainer
endorsements or language designed to appeal specifically to those
under twenty -one years of age, or, if pertaining exclusively to keno,
online lottery ticket sales or fantasy contests, or any combinatio n
thereof, to those under eighteen years of age;
[(6)] (7) Not contain inaccurate or misleading information that would
reasonably be expected to confuse and mislead patrons in order to
induce them to engage in gaming;
[(7)] (8) Not be published, aired, displayed or disseminated to a
media outlet or on social media, that appeal primarily to individuals
under twenty -one years or age, or, if pertaining exclusively to keno,
online lottery ticket sales or fantasy contests, or any comb ination
thereof, to those under eighteen years of age;
(9) Not be published, aired, displayed or disseminated in any athletic
facility located on the campus of any public or private institution of
higher education in this state, or on any Internet web site, social media
platform, online service or mobile application established or maintained
by or on behalf of any public or private institution of higher education
in this state, unless such materials exclusively consist of an
announcement, signage or display that is directed to a general audience;
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[(8)] (10) Not be placed before any audience where the majority of the
viewers or participants is presumed to be under twenty -one years of
age, or, if pertaining exclusively to keno, online lottery ticket sales or
fantasy contests, or any combination thereof, to thos e under eighteen
years of age;
[(9)] (11) Not imply greater chances of winning compared to other
licensees;
[(10)] (12) Not imply greater chances of winning based on wagering
in greater quantity or amount, except for online keno and online lottery
draw games that include game features approved by the department
that increase the chances of winning;
[(11)] (13) Not contain claims or representations that gaming will
guarantee an individual's social, financial or personal success;
[(12)] (14) Not use any type, size, location, lighting, illustration,
graphic, depiction or color resulting in the obscuring of any material
fact; and
[(13)] (15) If a direct or targeted advertisement or promotion sent to
an individual, including, but not limited to, electronic mail or text
message, include a clear and conspicuous Internet link that allows the
recipient to unsubscribe by clicking on one link.
Sec. 3. ( Effective from passage ) (a) The Commissioner of Consumer
Protection, in consultation with the office of the Attorney General, the
Mohegan Tribe, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and the Connecticut
Lottery Corporation, shall conduct a study concerning the effects of
prediction market platforms on the residents of this state, including, but
not limited to, the:
(1) Use of prediction market platforms by persons under the age of
twenty-one;
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(2) Advertisement of prediction market platforms to persons under
the age of twenty-one;
(3) Effects of prediction market platforms on problem gambling in
this state;
(4) Most frequently placed speculative positions on prediction
market platforms by persons in this state;
(5) Effects of prediction markets on revenue collected by the master
wagering licensees; and
(6) Effects of prediction markets on any payments to the state by the
master wagering licensees.
(b) Not later than February 1, 2027, the Commissioner of Consumer
Protection shall file a report on the study and recommendations, in
accordance with the provisions of section 11 -4a of the general statutes,
with the Governor, the Office of Policy and Manag ement and the joint
standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of
matters relating to general law.
Sec. 4. (NEW) ( Effective from passage ) (a) As used in this section, (1)
"electronic wagering platform", "fantasy contest", "lottery draw game"
and "online gaming operator" have the same meanings as provided in
section 12 -850 of the general statutes, and (2) "keno" has the same
meaning as provided in section 12-801 of the general statutes.
(b) Each electronic wagering platform that exclusively provides (1)
fantasy contests, or (2) the sale of tickets for lottery draw games and
keno through the Internet, an online service or a mobile application shall
employ a geolocation system that, at a minimum, has the capacity to:
(A) (i) Detect the location of a patron's device notwithstanding the
use of a proxy server or virtual private network, or (ii) prohibit
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participation of a patron utilizing a proxy server or virtual private
network;
(B) Using industry standard technologies approved by the
Department of Consumer Protection, (i) check the location of a patron's
device whenever such patron submits an entry fee for a fantasy contest
or purchases a lottery draw game or keno ticket, and (ii) prohibit a
patron from submitting such entry fee or making such purchase
whenever the location of the patron's device is unable to be determined;
(C) Provide a pop-up notification to a patron whenever the patron is
attempting to submit an entry fee for a fantasy contest or purchase a
lottery draw game or keno ticket when the location of the patron's
device is unable to be determined; and
(D) Notify the online gaming operator and the patron if the patron's
account is being accessed from geographically inconsistent locations,
including, but not limited to, multiple locations among which a patron
could not travel between each initiation of su ch entry fee payment or
purchase of a lottery draw game or keno ticket.
Sec. 5. Subsection (c) of section 12 -806a of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof ( Effective from
passage):
(c) (1) Each lottery gaming system shall be tested and certified, in a
manner and with a frequency deemed necessary by the department to
preserve gaming integrity, by a gaming laboratory. When the
department deems such testing and certification necessary, it shall
notify the corporation not later than two weeks after the corporation
formally notifies the department of a planned modification to the lottery
gaming system. In the event of an e mergency requiring a modification
to the lottery gaming system, the department shall notify the
corporation immediately if it deems testing and certification of such
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modification necessary. If the department suspects that the integrity of
the lottery gaming system may be vulnerable or compromised, the
department may require that the lottery gaming system be recertified
by a gaming laboratory and the new certification submitted to the
department.
(2) Each lottery draw game or keno shall be tested and certified, in a
manner and with a frequency deemed necessary by the department to
preserve gaming integrity, by a gaming laboratory prior to the
corporation offering such lottery draw game or keno, provided a lottery
draw game shall not require such testing and certification if such game
(A) is sold in at least twenty states within the United States, and (B) has
been tested by a nationally recognized gaming testing laboratory that is
licensed in at least twenty states to perform system and game analysis.
When the department deems such testing and certification necessary, it
shall notify the corporation not later than two weeks after the
corporation formally notifies the department of the corporation's plan
to offer a new lottery draw game or to modify an e xisting lottery draw
game or keno. In the event of an emergency requiring a modification to
an existing lottery draw game or keno, the department shall notify the
corporation immediately if the departmen t deems testing and
certification of such modification necessary.
(3) The department may develop technical standards against which
gaming laboratories shall test lottery draw games and keno for
compliance. If the department develops such standards, the
department:
(A) Shall post such standards on the department's Internet web site;
(B) Shall review such standards not less than annually to ensure such
standards preserve the integrity of gaming;
(C) May modify or update such standards to respond to a legal
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interpretation, to include additional standards or amend existing
standards as the commissioner deems necessary in order to preserve the
integrity of gaming or protect consumers from financial harm, to adjust
to changes in technology, relevant standards or platform design, or for
any other reason in order to preserve the integrity of gaming;
(D) Shall post any updates to such standards on the department's
Internet web site, and such updates shall be effective thirty days after
such posting unless the commissioner establishes a later effective date;
and
(E) Shall notify the corporation in writing of any update to such
standards prior to implementation of such update.
(4) A gaming laboratory engaged [in testing and certifying ] by the
corporation to test and certify a lottery draw game or keno shall [file a
report with the department] produce a certification report, which shall
include (A) the extent to which the lottery draw game or keno meets any
technical standards adopted by the commissioner, (B) whether the
lottery draw game or keno complies with the requirements of this
chapter and any regulations adopted pursuant to the provisions of this
chapter, and (C) any additional information needed by the department
to certify the lottery game or keno. The gaming laboratory shall provide
the department with real -time online acce ss to all reports through its
secure communication protocol. The corporation shall submit the
certification report to the department with its application for approval
of the lottery draw game or keno.
(5) The department shall review the lottery draw game or keno that
is being tested for proper functioning, and consider the test results and
certification [submitted by ] report from the gaming laboratory. After
completing the evaluation of a lottery draw game or keno, the
department may approve the lottery draw game or keno for use in the
state. The department may suspend [or revoke approval of ] a lottery
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draw game or keno [without notice] if the department has good cause
to believe that the continued operation of such game or keno [poses a
threat to the security and integrity of gaming in the state ] could
reasonably cause substantial detriment to the public interest.
(6) The corporation shall be responsible for all costs associated with
testing and obtaining certification.