Best Legal Connecticut Online Poker Sites
Is Poker Legal In Connecticut
Poker is legal in Connecticut at the Mohegan Sun or the Foxwoods under the Connecticut Tribal State Gaming Compact. Guests must be 21 years or older to play, but these are the only live poker rooms that are legal in Connecticut to host poker tournaments and cash games for Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and more poker variations.
The agreement allows for tribal casinos to offer Class III gaming, which includes poker, blackjack, and more table games. An amendment in 2021 allowed Connecticut tribes to offer online poker as part of iGaming expansion, but the state hasn’t officially launched into the online poker market yet.
Paragraph eight of the tribal agreement between the state of Connecticut and the Mohegan Tribe claims that “The Mohegan Tribe and State hereby agree that a change in State law to authorize each of the Mohegan Tribe… and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe… to operate online sports wagering, online casino gaming and fantasy contests outside of its respective reservation…”
The compact later defines “online casino gaming” as “slots, blackjack, craps, roulette, poker and video poker, bingo, live dealer, and other peer-to-peer games and any variations of such games…” giving the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods casinos the green light to offer online poker. Connecticut online poker is legal but not operational; however, there are two Senate bills in place that would allow Connecticut to join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement alongside other states with poker who joined the MSIGA. For more on each of those states head to their respective pages below:
- Michigan Online Poker
- Nevada Online Poker
- New Jersey Online Poker
- Pennsylvania Online Poker
- West Virginia Online Poker
What Is Legal Poker Age In Connecticut?
The legal poker age in Connecticut is 21 years old at casinos and future state-regulated online poker sites. Although online Connecticut poker sites haven’t officially launched, the 2021 online casino gaming legislation set a 21+ minimum age for poker and other forms of online gambling.
However, offshore poker sites operating in Connecticut require players to be 18+ to play real money online poker. Connecticut residents have trusted Ignition and BetOnline for roughly 10 years with their daily online poker tournaments and cash games.
Live Poker Rooms In Connecticut
Foxwoods Resort Casino
- Address: 350 Trolley Line Blvd, Mashantucket, CT 06338
- Poker Room: (860) 312-3233
- Casino: (800) 369-9663
- Poker Room Website: www.foxwoods.com/poker
- Foxwoods Poker Room Information: The biggest poker room in Connecticut with 54 tables for No Limit and Limit Texas Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, and more mixed poker games. Hosts the $195 No Limit Hold’em (NLH) WSOP Main Event Satellite for the World Series of Poker, as well as the $1,195 WSOP Main Event Qualifier. Offers progressive jackpots that frequently surpass $100,000 for their Bad Beat Jackpot, Hold’em Jackpot, and Stud Jackpot.
Mohegan Sun
- Address: 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd, Uncasville, CT 06382
- Poker Room: (860) 862-2638
- Casino: (888) 226-7711
- Poker Room Website: www.mohegansun.com/poker
- Mohegan Sun Poker Room Information: Smaller Connecticut poker room than Foxwoods with 33 tables, but still one of the biggest poker rooms in the New England area. Open every day from 9 AM – 4 AM and has five daily tournaments, capped off with the $350 No Limit Hold’em tournament. Offers the widest variety of poker games in Connecticut with 7-Card Stud, Hold’em, Omaha, Razz, Badugi, 2-7 Triple Draw, and is one of the few poker rooms with Pineapple poker.
Closest Live Poker Rooms
Since both poker rooms in Connecticut are located in the southeastern region of the state, Connecticut cities in the northern or western regions of the state may be better off going to out-of-state poker rooms. For example, the closest live poker room to Canaan, Connecticut, is the MGM Springfield poker room in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Canaan residents are roughly 100 miles from the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun compared to just a 50-mile trip across state lines to the MGM Springfield. Poker players in Southwest Connecticut cities like Greenwich are about the same distance from Resorts World Catskills in New York as the in-state options, but both Connecticut poker rooms offer more tables for No Limit Hold’em and other poker games than poker rooms in New York.
Frequently Asked Questions On How To Play Poker In Connecticut
Can You Play Poker In Connecticut At Home For Money?
Home poker games are legal in Connecticut if the players have a “bona fide social relationship”, meaning a real social relationship that has not arisen solely for the purpose of gambling. Home games are exempt in Connecticut’s gambling laws if the game is in private and no one profits from hosting or the rake of the game.
The exemption in Chapter 496, Section 53-278b from the Connecticut General Assembly’s “Offenses Against Public Policy” states that “provided natural persons shall be exempt from prosecution and punishment under this subsection for any game, wager or transaction which is incidental to a bona fide social relationship, is participated in by natural persons only and in which no person is participating, directly or indirectly, in professional gambling.”
The law is set to prevent “professional players” from hosting underground poker games for profit. A group of friends playing poker for fun is legal under this statute.
Can I Play On PokerStars In Connecticut?
The legal framework is in place for licensed poker operators to join Connecticut, but PokerStars and other online poker sites haven’t launched in The Constitution State. PokerStars is only available in New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, but Connecticut residents can expect to play PokerStars at some point once the operator launches in the state.
The Mohegan Tribe is partnered with FanDuel for their online casino gaming and sports betting offerings. FanDuel’s parent company, Flutter Entertainment, operates PokerStars, so they’re the most likely first state-regulated Connecticut online poker operator when online poker platforms go live.
Is Ignition Poker Legal In Connecticut?
Ignition Poker accepts Connecticut players and is legal for users who are 18+. Ignition and other online poker sites are licensed and regulated internationally, so Connecticut doesn’t regulate this site under state law.
Still, they’re a reliable online poker site that accepts crypto, credit cards, and more poker deposit methods to play daily poker tournaments and cash games. New players at Ignition can get a 150% first deposit match up to $1,500 to use in the $200,000 guaranteed tournament available every Sunday.
Is Poker In Connecticut Legal At Bovada?
Bovada, like Ignition, is licensed and regulated overseas. But, Bovada does not accept players looking to play online poker in Connecticut. As our Bovada poker review covers, the poker platform took Connecticut users for many years, but recently backed out. The best online poker rooms in Connecticut that are good alternatives to Bovada are Ignition and BetOnline.
Is BetOnline Poker Available in Connecticut?
Any Connecticut resident who’s 18 years or older can play online poker at BetOnline. This offshore poker site has legally taken Connecticut players since 2004 and has over 30 years in the online gambling business.
Sunday is the best day for poker at BetOnline with their $150,000 guaranteed main event at a $109 buy-in. One of the best poker bonuses that BetOnline offers is for new players. Theys get 21 free tournament tickets as a part of the BetOnline poker welcome package for a chance to play their way into the Sunday Major event.