Connecticut Online Poker

Online poker is legal but not yet operational in Connecticut. Two gaming tribes, the Mashantucket Pequots and Mohegans, hold a monopoly over online gambling, but neither has launched an online poker platform.

It is uncertain when the first Connecticut poker sites will launch. It could be within the next year, but neither tribe has indicated its plans for online poker.

Legal online gambling and sports betting remain the closest alternatives in the meantime. Connecticut readers can see BettingUSA’s CT sports betting and CT online gambling guides for more information about their options in those regards.

21+ and present in CT. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call (888) 789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat.

Connecticut Online Poker Launch Date

Connecticut online poker does not have a confirmed launch date. The state and its operators must overcome two challenges to establish a viable online poker market.

First, Connecticut law only permits up to two online gambling platforms, one each operated by the Mashantucket Pequots and Mohegans. The Mashantucket Pequots offer online gambling and sports betting via DraftKings, and the Mohegans offer the same via FanDuel.

Neither DraftKings nor FanDuel has experience with online poker, and getting started would require a significant change in their usual approach to legal online gambling.

Second, Connecticut is a small poker market with a population of just over 3.5 million. As a result, DraftKings and FanDuel have little incentive to invest significant resources in launching online poker platforms.

However, both challenges are surmountable. FanDuel’s parent company, Flutter Entertainment, suffers no lack of experience because it also operates the world’s largest poker site, PokerStars.

Connecticut can solve the population problem by joining a multi-state poker liquidity pool with other states with legal online poker. For example, the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) between Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada, and West Virginia has improved poker traffic across the board.

Legal Connecticut Poker Sites

Connecticut law permits the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes to offer online gambling, sports betting, and poker, but each tribe may only launch a singular online gaming brand.

As a result, Connecticut will have two poker sites at max capacity. Both tribes have selected their gaming partners, and only one of them (FanDuel) could realistically launch an online poker room anytime soon.

FanDuel’s relationship with PokerStars via their shared ownership under Flutter Entertainment is Connecticut’s most viable path to online poker. However, neither FanDuel nor the Mohegan Tribe has committed to offering online poker in Connecticut.

DraftKings does not offer online poker in any state, and it seems unlikely it would develop an online poker platform just to serve Connecticut, a state with a small population.

Is PokerStars Coming to Connecticut?

If legal online poker does launch in Connecticut, PokerStars currently stands as the operator with the best odds of making it happen. Its relationship with FanDuel makes it the likeliest option, and PokerStars has the experience to run a high-quality poker site.

However, it is unclear how PokerStars could gain access to the Connecticut market. Connecticut law only permits two online gambling brands, and both of the state’s tribal operators have selected their partners. Conceivably, PokerStars could lend its technical know-how to FanDuel and launch under FanDuel branding.

A PokerStars Connecticut launch would be a significant win for players – and even more so if Connecticut joins a player-sharing agreement with at least one other state.

In other states, PokerStars has proven capable and secure. It hosts populated cash games at a wide range of stakes, regular tournaments with large prize pools, and is home to major tournament series such as the Championship of Online Poker.

Connecticut Live Poker Rooms

Connecticut is home to a lively poker scene, with a large poker room at each of its two land-based casinos. The poker rooms at Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun Casino boast dozens of tables each, no small feat for one of the smallest states in the country.

  • Foxwoods Poker Room: The Foxwoods Poker Room bills itself as the biggest poker room on the east coast. The claim holds weight, with Foxwoods frequently managing three dozen poker tables or more and expanding to more than 100 tables during major tournament events.
  • Mohegan Sun Poker Room: The poker room at Mohegan Sun Casino features more than 30 tables and hosts tournaments every day of the week. In addition, the Mohegan Sun poker room hosts cash games for Texas Holdem, 7 Card Stud, Omaha, Razz, Badugi, 2-7 Triple Draw, and more on request.

Connecticut Poker Deposit Options

When they launch, Connecticut poker sites will accept a standard variety of poker deposit methods. Under state law, legal poker sites may accept any deposit method that leaves an easily audited electronic trail.

Likely poker deposit methods in Connecticut will include:

  • Bank Transfers
  • E-Checks and ACH Payments
  • Credit cards and debit cards – Visa, MasterCard, etc.
  • E-Wallets such as PayPal and Skrill

Connecticut law requires all players to verify their identities before depositing or withdrawing. The first time a new player attempts to deposit, the poker site will run an identity check to see if their personal information coincides with public and government databases. If not, players may be asked to upload an image of their driver’s license or government-issued photo ID.

Additionally, all players must be 21 or older and physically located within Connecticut lines to make deposits and participate in real money games.

A quirk in Connecticut law limits players to attaching just one credit card or debit card to their accounts. In other words, players may not deposit funds from two different credit or debit cards.

Shared Poker Tables With Other States

The Connecticut online poker market will instantly become viable if it joins a player sharing and liquidity agreement with at least one other state. With a population just north of 3.5 million, Connecticut will struggle to support a healthy poker industry on its own.

However, if Connecticut joins an interstate player sharing compact such as the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), poker sites active in two or more member states will gain the ability to share tables across state lines. The result for Connecticut poker sites would be busier cash games, tournaments with more entrants, and larger prize pools.

It is unclear if Connecticut regulators are seriously considering adopting rules that will allow for interstate poker. Regulators are aware of interstate poker, but they have so far declined to publicly comment whether they intend to pursue an interstate poker sharing agreement.

Until interstate poker comes to Connecticut, it is unlikely either of the state’s two online gambling operators will expend the effort to launch an online poker platform.

Connecticut Online Poker Laws

Online poker falls under the broader umbrella of Connecticut’s online gambling laws. Unlike most states with online poker and gambling, Connecticut law does not treat poker differently than other types of casino games.

As a result, Connecticut’s online poker laws are pretty straightforward. Connecticut legalized online poker and gambling in 2021 by passing HB 6451 and updating its gaming agreements with the state’s two tribal gambling operators, the Mashantucket Pequots and Mohegans.

The law authorizes “online casino gaming,” which it defines with broad terminology that covers player vs. player poker and other types of games:

(A) slots, blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, poker and video poker, bingo, live dealer and other peer-to-peer games and any variations of such games…

Connecticut law grants the Mohegans and Mashantucket Pequots a monopoly over all online casino games, including poker. As a result, Connecticut can have a maximum of two online poker sites.

State law establishes a minimum age of 21 to play online poker in Connecticut, and users must be located within state lines to join real money games. The law does not address shared liquidity across state lines, which leaves the question of poker sites sharing tables with operators in other states open-ended.

Additional regulations approved in Connecticut address various issues such as consumer protection, information security, responsible gambling, licensing conditions, and more.

The Connecticut poker rules most applicable to players include:

  • Players must be 21 or older
  • Connecticut poker sites must ensure players are physically located within state lines before letting them participate in real money games
  • Licensed poker sites must keep enough funds in reserve to cover all players’ deposited funds
  • Connecticut poker sites must provide mechanisms for players to self-impose deposit and spending limits
  • Licensed poker sites must collect each customer’s name, date of birth, residential address, e-mail address, and any other information necessary to verify their identity

Connecticut Online Poker FAQ

Online poker is legal but not yet available in Connecticut. Lawmakers authorized online poker in gambling in May 2021, but neither of the state’s online casinos has launched a poker site.

Connecticut’s small population and lack of player-sharing agreements with other states have dissuaded DraftKings and FanDuel, the state’s only licensed gambling sites, from investing in online poker platforms.

Legal poker sites may come to Connecticut, but the timeline is uncertain at this stage.

Connecticut poker sites will be safe and well-regulated once they launch. However, no poker sites have launched in Connecticut to date.

Any poker sites that claim to offer online poker in Connecticut today are unregulated and operate contrary to state law.

No. Connecticut poker laws only require players to be physically located within state lines to join real money cash games and tournaments. Players do not need to be residents – they only need to be within Connecticut borders.

It is unclear when the first CT online poker sites will launch. Neither of the state’s two licensed online casinos has expressed interest in offering online poker anytime soon.

If Connecticut regulators decide to join player-sharing agreements with other states, online poker will likely be not far behind.

Connecticut law requires players to be 21 or older to participate in real money casino and poker games.

Yes, but private poker games must meet two conditions to be legal:

  • The poker game is “incidental to a bona fide social relationship” – which means the players must already know each other. It is legal to play poker with friends, but it is not legal to advertise a poker game to the public
  • No one other than the participants receives anything from the game – i.e., the game’s host cannot charge an entry fee or sell concessions

Players should first reach out to their gambling site’s customer support team for assistance. If the operator does not resolve the dispute to the customer’s satisfaction, the player may file a complaint with the Department of Consumer protection.