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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6512
January Session, 2021
LCO No. 3908
Referred to Committee on PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY
Introduced by:
(PS)
AN ACT CONCERNING CO NSUMER PROTECTIONS F OR SPORTS
WAGERING.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) For purposes of this 1
section: 2
(1) "Electronic wagering platform" means the combination of 3
hardware, software and data networks used to manage, administer, 4
offer or control online sports wagering, including through an Internet 5
web site or a mobile device application; 6
(2) "Sporting event" means (A) any sporting or athletic event at which 7
two or more persons participate and receive compensation in excess of 8
actual expenses for such participation in such sporting or athletic event, 9
or (B) any sporting or athletic event sponsored by an intercollegiate 10
athletic program of an institution of higher education. "Sporting event" 11
does not include horse racing, e-sports or any sporting or athletic event 12
sponsored by a minor league or high school; 13
(3) "Sports governing body" means the organization that prescribes 14 Raised Bill No. 6512
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final rules and enforces codes of conduct with respect to a sporting event 15
and participants in the sporting event; and 16
(4) "Sports wagering" means risking or accepting any money, credit, 17
deposit or other thing of value for gain contingent in whole or in part 18
on (A) a sporting event or a portion or portions of a sporting event, or 19
(B) the individual performance statistics of an athlete or athletes in a 20
sporting event or a combination of sporting events. "Sports wagering" 21
does not include the payment of an entry fee to play fantasy contests, as 22
defined in section 12-578aa of the general statutes; 23
(b) (1) No individual shall place a wager on a sporting event with an 24
operator of sports wagering unless such individual is at least twenty-25
one years of age and is physically present in this state when placing such 26
wager. 27
(2) No individual who is an operator of sports wagering or an 28
electronic wagering platform or, an officer, a director, an owner or an 29
employee of such an operator, and no family member of such individual 30
who resides in the same household as such individual, shall place any 31
wager on a sporting event with an operator of sports wagering. 32
(3) No athlete, coach or referee who takes part in a sporting event 33
overseen by a sports governing body; employee of a sports governing 34
body; owner or employee of a sports governing body's member teams; 35
or personnel of any bargaining unit of a sports governing body's athletes 36
or referees, shall place any wager on any sporting event overseen by 37
such governing body. In determining which individuals are prohibited 38
from placing a wager under this subdivision, an operator of sports 39
wagering shall use publicly available information and any lists 40
provided by the relevant sports governing body. 41
(4) No individual with access to nonpublic, confidential information 42
that could affect the outcome of a sporting event shall place any wager 43
on such sporting event with any operator of sports wagering. 44
(5) No individual shall place any sports wager as an agent or a proxy 45 Raised Bill No. 6512
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for another individual. 46
(6) No operator of sports wagering may pay a prize to any individual 47
who is prohibited from placing a wager pursuant to this subsection. 48
(c) Each operator of sports wagering shall: 49
(1) Verify that an individual placing a wager on a sporting event is 50
not prohibited from doing so pursuant to subsection (b) of this section; 51
(2) Prohibit an individual from establishing more than one account 52
and establish commercially and technologically reasonable measures to 53
verify identity and ensure compliance with the provisions of this 54
section; 55
(3) Allow an individual to withdraw funds from such individual's 56
account, and, at the individual's request permanently close the account; 57
(4) Publish all contractual terms, conditions and rules applicable to 58
sports wagering on such operator's Internet web site or mobile 59
application, if conducting online sports wagering, and at any of such 60
operator's facility conducting sports wagering in person; 61
(5) Develop and publish procedures allowing an individual to file a 62
complaint with the operator in person, in writing, online or by other 63
means about any aspect of the sports wagering conducted by such 64
operator; 65
(6) If conducting online sports wagering, conspicuously display on 66
such operator's sports wagering Internet web site or mobile application: 67
(A) A link to the protections afforded individuals by the provisions 68
of this section; 69
(B) A link to responsible gaming information; 70
(C) A toll-free telephone number an individual may use to obtain 71
information about problem gaming; 72 Raised Bill No. 6512
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(D) A link to information about the self-exclusion process described 73
in subsection (f) of this section; 74
(E) A clear display of the amount of time an individual has spent on 75
the operator's Internet web site or mobile application; 76
(F) A means to initiate a break in play to discourage excessive play; 77
and 78
(G) A clear display of the amount of money available in the account 79
of the individual who is placing wagers. 80
(d) Each operator of sports wagering shall maintain the security of 81
wagering data, data concerning individuals placing wagers on sporting 82
events and other confidential information to prevent unauthorized 83
access to and dissemination of such data and information. An operator 84
of sports wagering shall not disclose or sell any information from an 85
individual placing wagers on sporting events with such operator, and 86
shall not disclose records that directly or indirectly identify such an 87
individual or such individual's gaming habits, except that such operator 88
shall share records in real time, at the account level and in 89
pseudonymous form, with the Department of Consumer Protection 90
with respect to wagers on sporting events placed with such operator. 91
(e) Each operator of sports wagering shall develop and publish a 92
policy on responsible gaming, which shall, at a minimum, require the 93
operator to: 94
(1) Track its sports wagering activity in a manner that allows it to 95
identify individuals placing sports wagers who have, or may be at risk 96
of having, problems with gaming; 97
(2) Provide training to employees to allow them to identify 98
individuals placing sports wagers who have, or may be at risk of having, 99
problems with gaming; and 100
(3) Provide guidelines on how employees can respond appropriately 101
to (A) an individual who is in crisis or distress due to problem gaming, 102 Raised Bill No. 6512
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(B) an individual who discloses the he or she may have a problem with 103
gaming, and (C) a person who shares information about an individual 104
who may have a problem with a gaming. 105
(f) (1) Each operator of sports wagering shall allow any individual to 106
exclude himself or herself from placing a sports wager or limit the 107
amount of money such individual may use to place sports wagers with 108
such operator, and, on and after the date the operator is notified by such 109
individual of such exclusion or limit, shall take reasonable steps to 110
prevent such individual from placing sports wagers or exceeding such 111
limit, as the case may be. During the time period applicable to any such 112
exclusion from placing a sports wager or limit on the amount of money 113
an individual may use to place sports wagers with an operator of sports 114
wagering, such operator may, at the request of the individual, extend 115
the time period of such exclusion or limit, or decrease the amount of 116
such limit, but such operator may not reduce the time period of such 117
exclusion or limit or increase the amount of such limit. 118
(2) Each operator of sports wagering shall publish information on the 119
provisions of this subsection and how an individual may exclude 120
himself or herself from placing a sports wager or limit the amount of 121
money such individual may use to place sports wagers with such 122
operator. The operator shall conspicuously display such information (A) 123
at any facility where such operator conducts sports wagering in person, 124
and (B) on the operator's sports wagering Internet web site or mobile 125
application, if the operator conducts online sports wagering. 126
(g) No operator of sports wagering may, as a condition of placing a 127
wager with such operator, require any individual to waive any 128
provision of this section or the right to pursue legal action or file a 129
complaint with the Department of Consumer Protection. 130
(h) No advertisement of sports wagering may: (1) Depict an 131
individual under twenty-one years of age, unless such individual is a 132
professional athlete; (2) be aimed exclusively or primarily at individuals 133
under twenty-one years of age; (3) use characteristics of individuals who 134 Raised Bill No. 6512
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have, or are at risk of having, a problem with gambling; or (4) 135
misrepresent the chances of winning or be misleading about the 136
outcomes of sports wagering. Each advertisement of sports wagering 137
shall include information concerning assistance that is available for 138
individuals who have, or are at risk of having, problems with gaming. 139
(i) Each operator of sports wagering shall take reasonable steps to 140
prevent the conduct prohibited under this section and to comply with 141
any regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (k) of this section. 142
(j) (1) Each operator of sports wagering shall immediately report to 143
the Commissioner of Consumer Protection any information relating to 144
(A) criminal or disciplinary proceedings commenced against such 145
operator or an employee of such operator in connection with its 146
operations, (B) abnormal wagering activity or patterns that the operator 147
believes may indicate a concern with the integrity of a sporting event, 148
(C) any potential breach of the relevant sports governing body's internal 149
rules or codes of conduct pertaining to sports wagering, (D) any other 150
conduct that corrupts the wagering outcome of a sporting event for 151
purposes of financial gain, including match-fixing, and (E) suspicious or 152
illegal wagering activities, including the use of funds derived from 153
illegal activity to place a wager, the placing of a wager to conceal funds 154
derived from illegal activity, the use of an agent or a proxy to place a 155
wager or the use of false identification to place a wager. 156
(2) Such operator shall also immediately report to the relevant sports 157
governing body any information relating to conduct described under 158
subparagraphs (B) to (D), inclusive, of subdivision (1) of this subsection. 159
(k) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall adopt 160
regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 of the 161
general statutes to implement the provisions of this section and as 162
necessary to protect the public interest in the integrity of sports 163
wagering and reduce the dangers of unsuitable, unfair or illegal 164
practices, methods and activities in the conduct of sports wagering. 165
Such regulations shall include, but need not be limited to, provisions 166 Raised Bill No. 6512
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regarding: (1) The types of sporting events upon which sports wagers 167
may be placed or accepted; (2) the minimum amount of cash reserves to 168
be maintained by operators of sports wagering; (3) the acceptance of 169
wagers on a series of sporting events; (4) the maximum wagers which 170
may be accepted by an operator of sports wagering from any one 171
individual on any one sporting event; (5) the type of wagering tickets 172
which shall be used; (6) the method of issuing tickets; (7) minimum 173
accounting standards for an operator of sports wagering; (8) the types 174
of records which shall be maintained by an operator of sports wagering 175
and available for inspection upon the request of the commissioner; (9) 176
requirements for information and reports from an operator of sports 177
wagering to enable effective auditing of such an operator; (10) 178
requirements for establishing and funding a sports wagering account; 179
(11) minimum qualifications for a provider of sporting events data; (12) 180
minimum requirements to ensure the security and integrity of an 181
electronic wagering platform and collection of information and reports 182
to enable effective oversight; (13) requirements for any advertisement 183
for sports betting to ensure such advertisement (A) does not target 184
minors, problem gamblers or other vulnerable individuals, (B) includes 185
information about gambling addiction or Internet web site links to 186
resources related to gambling addiction, and (C) is not false, misleading 187
or deceptive to a reasonable consumer. 188
(l) The provisions of this section shall not be effective until (1) an 189
authorization to operate sports wagering outside of Indian lands, as 190
defined in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, 25 USC 2703(4), is 191
effective pursuant to any provision of the general statutes or a public or 192
special act, and (2) the regulations required by subsection (k) of this 193
section are effective. 194
Sec. 2. Section 12-565a of the general statutes is repealed. (Effective 195
from passage) 196
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage New section Raised Bill No. 6512
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Sec. 2 from passage Repealer section
Statement of Purpose:
To provide certain protections to consumers who engage in sports
wagering, if such wagering is authorized.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]