The state of Connecticut is a very friendly state when it come to a game of poker. Basically as long as you are not playing in, or even worse running a back room illegal card room then you have plenty of legal options. There are of course a few laws that we will take a look at, but for all intents and purposes Connecticut is one of the better states for poker players. As you will see, there is a mention of gambling via electronic means and it's debatable whether this includes online poker and as such many residents of Connecticut play regularly at online poker rooms such as BetOnline Poker.
Playing at Home in Connecticut
Connecticut does have a few laws in place when it comes to playing at home and these are in line with many other states. Should you be either playing, hosting or even present during an illegal game that constitutes 'professional gambling' then you are breaking the law. Section 53-278b clearly state that “Any person who engages in professional gambling shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.” So what is professional gambling? Professional gambling put very simply is a game of poker where the house is profiting from the game by raking the pot or charging a fee. If you stay within these rules then enjoying a home game is perfectly fine.
Playing Online Poker in Connecticut
Connecticut, although having never mentioned online poker in any law within the Penal Code does state in 53-278d that, “Any person who knowingly transmits or receives gambling information by telephone, telegraph, radio, semaphore or other means… shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.” This law could apply to the internet as 'by any other means' is mentioned however we have never heard of a case going to court and for Connecticut to be monitoring online activity for any individual it would be unconstitutional and there are in fact there is nothing in place to monitor and record anyone's internet activity. With this being said, many residents of Connecticut enjoy their poker online and with no federal law against it, why not. There are many rooms that cater for them too with Betonline Poker, Americas Cardroom and Full Flush Poker being three of the best.
Playing Poker in Connecticut's Casinos
Connecticut does have casinos and poker is enjoyed in most of them. The Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and the Mohegan Tribe of Indians have licenses to run casinos and they indeed do. The casinos are well developed establishments that offer slots, table games, wagering on horse racing and of course some great poker action. Many casinos have large poker rooms set aside from the main gaming area and it appears that good old Texas Holdem is the game of choice in the good state of Connecticut.
