Connecticut House passes bill to change debit card & ad rules for gambling
A bill to change Connecticut’s rules regarding online gambling payments and advertisements gained approval in the House.
House Bill 5269 was passed with amendments by the Connecticut House following a 100-46 vote. HB 5269, sponsored by the House General Law Committee, was introduced in January before being referred to the Joint Committee on General Law.
The measure was later referred to the Committee on Finance, Revenue, and Bonding before the House adopted and unanimously passed it with a series of amendments. It was approved by the House hours before the state’s legislative session adjourned on June 4.
Under HB 5269, a person is prohibited from having more than one credit or debit card for each online wagering platform licensed in the state. Active gaming law in Connecticut bans credit card funding for online gambling.
The bill proposes limiting a person to the use of only one debit or credit card for an account with operators also required to “obtain permission from all account holders before authorizing any debit, charge or withdrawal on any jointly held debit card or credit card account.”
“This is a common-sense approach to some of the problems that we’re seeing throughout society, especially amongst young men and gambling,” said State Rep. David Rutigliano.
HB 5269 also proposes changes to advertising practices in the state for gambling.
The measure mandates that gambling advertisements and marketing in Connecticut “not offer any financial incentive in order to induce individuals to engage in gaming.” If enacted, HB 5269 would take effect on Oct. 1. The measure is tabled for the calendar, placing it on the legislative schedule for the Senate for its second reading.
Tribes not involved in the construction of HB 5269
House members voiced concerns regarding HB 5269 and what it means for tribes.
“It just seems like we’re taking something away from them [tribes] that was negotiated,” said State Rep. Anthony Nolan.
HB 5269 was drafted without consideration from tribes before it was introduced. The measure did not include input from federally recognized tribes as it involves third-party operators and not state-sanctioned wagering on tribal land across Connecticut.
CT regulator agrees to settlement
The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) is no longer pursuing criminal charges against High 5 Games after agreeing to a settlement with the online gaming provider. The settlement requires High 5 Games to pay more than $1.4 million for the state to drop all criminal charges against the online casino games provider.
The DCP pressed more than 1,000 criminal charges against High 5 Games and suspended its license as an online casino supplier for allegedly violating state laws by operating a sweepstakes casino site. The DCP reinstated the operator’s license following a probe.
High 5 Games maintains its sweepstakes offerings are lawful under state and federal laws.
https://sbcamericas.com/2025/06/06/ct-house-passes-bill-debit-card-ads/