- Senate Bill 296 passed through the House and Senate unanimously in Connecticut, intending to make an amendment so that sports betting is covered in a 1998 cheating statute.
- Governor Ned Lamont must sign off on the bill for it to be legalized, which is likely to be official soon.
HARTFORD, Conn. – An amendment to a cheating statute from 1998 is likely to be signed into law to expand from casino games to sports betting.
It was originally written for cheating on casino games and lottery drawings, but lawmakers have pushed for an amendment to include corruption in sports betting, including rigging games, collusion, and using insider information for profit. The bill also extends criminal penalties to cheating with casino and lottery games.
The act of engaging in this form of cheating at legal sports betting sites would carry a felony sentence of up to five years in prison, a $5,000 fine, or both. It applies only to bets and/or the action of engaging in cheating in Connecticut.
Connecticut Criminal Cheating Bill Unanimously Approved
The bill has reached the desk of Governor Ned Lamont after unanimously passing through the House and Senate, meaning it only needs his final signature to be ratified. SB 296 swept through the House on Tuesday after passing by a 36-0 vote in the Senate.
Sports betting sites in Connecticut have been legal since Governor Lamont approved the sports betting expansion back in 2021, making it the third New England state to legalize. Gov. Lamont’s administration is also responsible for negotiating the 15-year tribal gaming compact with the Pequot Tribal Nation and Mohegan Tribe, granting the tribes exclusive rights to sports betting and gaming in the state.
Louisiana and Ohio have taken similar measures against cheating on sports betting related wagers in 2026, marking a pattern of state legislation cracking down on sports betting laws that may have been a bit lax since its general legalization across the country.
