The popularity of online gambling in the United States is hard to argue against. In fact, millions of Americans all throughout the country log on from the comfort of home and partake every day. Whether their interests lie more in sports betting, poker, or even classic casino table games, players have found that they can easily take part in all of these activities online.
The problem, especially in the state of Connecticut, is not the availability of these services, but rather the confusion that results from the cloudy legal landscape surrounding the hobby. After all, Connecticut residents are held accountable not only for the federal laws that govern every US citizen, but for a completely unique set of laws within the Connecticut constitution.
LegalConnecticutGambling will break down all of the most popular aspects of online gambling and analyze them from the perspective of both federal and Connecticut laws. We hope that any Connecticut residents who come across this page will leave with a more complete understanding of their rights and responsibilities when it comes to signing up with legal gambling sites for Connecticut residents.
Sometimes, it’s fun to simply drop a coin in a slot machine and let lady luck take over. It’s the reason scratch off tickets are so popular, and it’s the reason that so many land based casinos are packed out with people every day of the week. Most states sanction land based casino games in one form or another. States that do not sanction their own casinos usually house federally exempt tribal casinos. Connecticut is no exception, and they host two of the largest tribal casino resorts in the country.
Still, these are not always the best venues for players who want to maintain a regular gambling hobby. Despite the availability of these facilities, they are more like theme parks than places to spend a half hour or so after work. As good a weekend getaway as these casinos make, most Connecticut players maintain an interest in playing with legal online casinos for Connecticut residents.
In the federal law book, the only policy that could affect a Connecticut resident’s right to do so would be the UIGEA, or, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act passed as a last minute addition to the Safe Port Act in 2006. This law essentially prevents anyone from operating a website that allows residents to gamble anywhere within the United States.
However, this does not mean that Connecticut residents may not gamble online. Legal online casinos operate offshore and well outside of both Connecticut and US jurisdiction. Since it’s easy for Connecticut residents to take part in gambling without garnering any legal attention, they may use these legal gambling sites whenever they please to do anything from playing the slots to betting on hands of blackjack with no fear of prosecution from state or federal law enforcement.
Sports Betting was the first form of gambling that called for federal policy, so it’s as good a place to start as any. Back in 1961 when organized crime was rampant and the large syndicates were using sports betting to maintain their operations, Congress passed the Federal Wire Act. This law prevented bookmakers from transmitting betting information across state lines.
If the Wire Act made life for bookmakers hard, the PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) passed in 1992 at the behest of then-NBA commissioner David Stern made it practically impossible. This law criminalized bookmaking in all forms, even if the information did not have to travel over state lines. Note that in both of these laws the only target is bookmakers, and not individual bettors.
In the state of Connecticut, while there are individual laws that govern the right of residents to bet on sports, they all follow the template laid out by federal policy closely. This means that while there is nothing in the Connecticut constitution that will prevent residents from placing bets on sports events, there are severe laws in place with the intention of breaking up any bookmaking rackets.
It may not seem like the legal nature of sports betting does players much good if its illegal for anyone to take their bets, but it leaves the door wide open for players to access legal sports betting sites that accept Connecticut residents. All of the sites we recommend operate overseas. This means that they are not subject to state or federal law, and that they are legal enterprises just so long as they abide by the laws in their native country. As long as Connecticut residents select their venues carefully, they may bet on sports from the comfort of home without ever worrying about legal interference.
The most popular form of gambling, online or otherwise is poker by a landslide. Unfortunately, it also carries the biggest stigma with it. Ever since the fiasco on “black Friday” when major poker sites like Full Tilt Poker and Poker Start shut down at the behest of the US government, Connecticut residents have been hesitant to trust any online poker rooms that accept Connecticut players.
However, there is really no cause for reluctance. The only federal law that governs online poker, the UIGEA, passed only to prohibit the facilitation of online poker within the United States. The law does not target individual players, nor does it apply to legal poker sites that accept Connecticut players and operate offshore. Many of these sites have specialized in serving US players for decades, and know how to work their way around these laws.
The state of Connecticut follows suit when it comes to their policy on online poker. While it’s illegal for anyone to run a poker site within the Connecticut state lines, it’s legal for any players in the state to take part in the game. This means that poker enthusiasts who live in Connecticut may play poker not only in the tribal poker rooms found throughout the state, but from the comfort of home just so long as they are careful about selecting their venue. This is welcome news to the ears of all poker fans in Connecticut, and many should be hitting the felt, either in person or online, very soon.
If you are searching for a site for legal gambling for Connecticut residents, there are a few things to keep in mind. The site should be reputable, have positive reviews in leading publications, and have heavy traffic. We have done a lot of the dirty work for you, playing on all the premier gambling sites and handpicking the best ones. These sites all offer unique playing options, excellent customer service, and safe deposit/payout options.
When it comes time to select the perfect venue for you, you have to consider many things. Do you want to gamble with the most reputable name in the business? Perhaps you’re more concerned with financial security. Finally, which is most important to you? A complete and thorough sportsbook that rivals any in the world, a casino featuring great bonuses and thousands of games to choose from, or a poker room that caters to all skill levels, attracts major traffic, and hands out big money every week? You can spend your days mulling over these questions on a philosophical level, or you can simply sign up with Bovada where you don’t have to worry about making a choice, because all these things will be available.
What keeps most players coming back to Bovada and what’s sure to tickle your fancy the ease of the payout system. When you request a payout, you can have a check made out to you mailed to your house, and you’ll be cashing it in about two weeks. Nothing could be simpler. What’s more, once a month this legal Connecticut gambling site will cut you a check and cover all fees associated with it. This means more of your money gets to stay where it belongs – in your wallet.