§ 53-278g — Gambling: Excepted activities.

(a) Nothing in sections 53-278a to 53-278f, inclusive, shall be construed to prohibit the publication of an advertisement of, or the operation of, or participation in, a state lottery, pari-mutuel betting at race tracks licensed by the state, off-track betting conducted by the state or a licensee authorized to operate the off-track betting system, authorized games at a casino gaming facility, online casino gaming, online sports wagering, retail sports wagering, and fantasy contests as authorized by sections 12-852 to 12-865, inclusive, a promotional drawing for a prize or prizes, conducted for advertising purposes by any person, firm or corporation other than a retail grocer or retail grocery chain, wherein members of the general public may participate without making any purchase or otherwise paying or risking credit, money, or any other tangible thing of value or a sweepstakes conducted pursuant to sections 42-295 to 42-301, inclusive. (b) The Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, or their agents, may use and possess at any location within the state, solely for the purpose of training individuals in skills required for employment by the tribe or testing a gambling device, any gambling device which the tribes are authorized to utilize on their reservations pursuant to the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act; provided no money or other thing of value shall be paid to any person as a result of the operation of such gambling device in the course of such training or testing at locations outside of the reservation of the tribe. Any person receiving such training or testing such device may use any such device in the course of such training or testing. Whenever either of said tribes intends to use and possess at any location within the state any such gambling device for the purpose of testing such device, the tribe shall give prior notice of such testing to the Department of Consumer Protection. (c) Any casino gaming facility, or its agents, may use and possess at any location within the state, solely for the purpose of training individuals in skills required for employment by the casino gaming facility or testing a gambling device, any gambling device which the casino gaming facility may use for conducting authorized games at the casino gaming facility, provided no money or other thing of value shall be paid to any person as a result of the operation of such gambling device in the course of such training or testing at locations outside of the casino gaming facility. Any person receiving such training or testing such device may use any such device in the course of such training or testing. Whenever a casino gaming facility intends to use and possess at any location within the state any such gambling device for the purpose of testing such device, the casino gambling facility shall give prior notice of such testing to the Department of Consumer Protection.

Legislative History

(P.A. 73-455, S. 7; P.A. 93-257; 93-435, S. 93, 95; P.A. 01-45; P.A. 10-36, S. 13; P.A. 11-51, S. 182; P.A. 14-217, S. 203; P.A. 17-89, S. 12; P.A. 21-23, S. 42.) History: P.A. 93-257 added Subsec. (b) permitting training of individuals in skills required for employment by Mashantucket Pequot tribe; P.A. 93-435 changed effective date of P.A. 93-257 from October 1, 1993, to June 4, 1993, effective June 28, 1993; P.A. 01-45 amended Subsec. (b) to add provisions re Mohegan Tribe and re testing gambling devices; P.A. 10-36 amended Subsec. (a) to include off-track betting conducted by licensee authorized to operate off-track betting system, effective July 1, 2010; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Division of Special Revenue” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Department of Consumer Protection” in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 14-217 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision re sweepstakes conducted pursuant to Secs. 42-295 to 42-301 and make a technical change, effective July 1, 2014; P.A. 17-89 amended Subsec. (a) to replace reference to Sec. 53-278g with reference to Sec. 53-278f, and add “authorized games at a casino gaming facility”, and added Subsec. (c) re training of individuals in skills required for employment by casino gaming facility or testing a gambling device, effective June 27, 2017; P.A. 21-23 amended Subsec. (a) to insert provision re online casino gaming, online sports wagering, retail sports wagering and fantasy contests, and made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 2021.