Connecticut Casino Guide
Facts About Gambling & Online Casinos in Connecticut
Connecticut is home to two tribal gaming casinos. The agreement between the state and the tribal entities is that the state receives a quarter of all slot machine wins. This money is an important form of revenue for the state. The agreement also restricts slots to the tribal-run casino. These two casinos are the only places where slot machines are allowed.
The casinos are not the only way people of Connecticut gamble. The Connecticut Lottery Corporation oversees a number of lotteries, including 5 Card Cash, Cash 5, Lotto!, Lucky for Life, Mega Millions, Play 3, Play 4, and Powerball. Scratch-off tickets are also available in authorized retailers around the state.
History of Gambling in Connecticut
Charitable gaming was established in the 1920s, when Connecticut made bingo legal. Bazaars and raffles were added to the approved list in 1955, followed by instant and daily games in the ‘70s, and the Lotto in 1984. Sealed tickets followed three years later. For any organization to hold these events, they must get approval from the local government and the Division of Special Revenue.
Las Vegas Nights were established in 2003. This opened the door for the first tribal-run casinos. When Connecticut’s budget tanked in the 1990s, with over 2,000 high-paying jobs leaving the southeastern part of the state, an urgency to bring in more jobs and revenue came to light. Foxwoods was already part of Connecticut’s scenery, opening as a bingo hall in 1986. Table games were added in 1992, followed by slot machines a year later and poker rooms in 1996. In 1996, Mohegan Sun opened its doors.
Age Restrictions for Gambling in Connecticut
To purchase lottery tickets and scratch-off tickets, players must be at least 18 years of age. To play games in the casinos, players must be 21 or older.
Connecticut’s Casino Gambling Outlook
Per Section 53-278a, Internet gambling in Connecticut is illegal. The state makes it clear that even gambling on websites in another jurisdiction that allows U.S. players is illegal if players are making real money bets. Yet, there is talk about changing this, so there’s hope that online casinos may one day be legal for Connecticut residents.
In 2012, an analyst for the Connecticut General Assembly released a report discussing the potential for online gambling in the state. Between 2007 and 2011, Connecticut saw revenue from the state’s casinos drop by more than $60 million. As a result, discussions regarding the legalization of online gambling started heating up. One of the biggest questions was how much revenue could be gained by legalizing it, specifically allowing online Keno. One of the biggest hurdles is that the casinos are operated by tribal organizations, so everyone must come to an agreement or the state could lose revenues it gains from the tribe-owned casinos.
Local Casinos
Foxwoods Resort Casino
Foxwoods Resort and Casino is home to a golf course, hotel, spa, and multiple restaurants and entertainment venues. The casino’s six game rooms are home to a race book, bingo, Keno, Poker, slots, table games, and video poker. In addition, there is an online casino and the Stargazers VIP Online Casino available to VIP players. To become a VIP member, layers must have at least $20,000 in credits built up in their account. In the online casino, players can win and buy virtual credits for game play. These virtual credits cannot be exchanged for cash.
Mohegan Sun
The spacious Mohegan Sun casino is broken into three areas. In the Casino of the Earth, you’ll find more than 130 table game and over 2,800 slot machines, all in a non-smoking area, and The Wolf Den where players can go for free concerts. Casino of the Sky has 100 table games and 2,000 slot machines in a non-smoking environment. Finally, there is Casino of the Wind with 500 slot machines, 25 table games, and a poker room with more than 40 tables. Also on the premises are a hotel, spa, concert hall, golf course, and multiple restaurants.