Connecticut Considers a Slew of Sports Betting Bills in 2025

Betting on Flights? HB6051 Takes Off

One of the most intriguing proposals is HB6051, sponsored by Representative Christopher Rosario. The bill looks to legalize sports betting on commercial flights starting or ending in Connecticut. While federal regulations currently prohibit gambling on airplanes, Rosario’s bill anticipates a future where these rules could change.

The idea builds on recent news of Delta Air Lines partnering with DraftKings, sparking discussions about bringing betting to the skies. While Delta and DraftKings haven’t announced specifics yet, this partnership hints at what could be possible if federal laws evolve.

Under HB6051, 1% of all revenue from in-flight bets would go toward funding public education in Connecticut’s urban and rural school districts. Although still in the conceptual stage, the bill highlights how Connecticut could position itself as a leader in innovative betting practices.

Betting on Connecticut’s College Teams

Another bill, HB5563, introduced by Representative Tony Scott, focuses on changing the rules for betting on local college teams. Right now, Connecticut residents can only wager on in-state teams during tournament play. This bill would lift that restriction, allowing bets on regular season games involving local universities.

Supporters argue that this change could prevent residents from heading to neighboring states like New York and Massachusetts to place bets on their home teams, keeping revenue within Connecticut.

The bill also reflects growing confidence in the integrity of college sports, thanks to the rise of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) agreements, which give athletes additional income and reduce incentives for unethical behavior. However, some colleges remain concerned about the potential pressure that expanded betting could place on student-athletes.

Consumer-Focused Changes

Rep. Scott has introduced several other bills aimed at protecting bettors and ensuring fair play in the sports betting industry.

HB5565: This proposal would let bettors customize their experience by opting out of seeing certain sports, events, or bet types. The idea is to help players avoid triggers that might lead to problem gambling while making platforms more user-friendly.

HB5778: This bill would require sportsbooks to offer two-way betting markets. For example, if a sportsbook allows you to bet on a player scoring a touchdown, it must also let you bet on that player not scoring. This ensures balance and fairness in the options available to bettors.

HB5779: This measure targets operator accountability. If a sportsbook makes an error in its betting lines before an event starts, it would have to cancel affected bets and issue full refunds. This protects players from losing money due to mistakes made by operators.

Pushing for Transparency

Scott’s proposals also address transparency in the industry.

HB5564 aims to cap how much sportsbooks can retain (the “hold”) to ensure operators don’t take excessive profits. Meanwhile, HB5568 would require sportsbooks to disclose maximum betting limits, helping bettors make informed decisions.