The Connecticut House passed HB 5269 by a 100-46 vote in June 2025, sending the sports betting reform bill to the Senate. The bill would have banned credit-card deposits for online sports wagering and tightened advertising restrictions — but it died in the Senate before the end of the 2025 session and never became law.

What HB 5269 Would Have Done

The amended House version of HB 5269 contained two substantive provisions:

Credit Card Ban

A complete prohibition on using credit cards to fund sports betting accounts. The bill also limited individuals to one credit or debit card per licensed online wagering platform, and required operators to obtain explicit permission from all account holders before processing any debit, charge, or withdrawal on jointly held cards.

If enacted, this would have made Connecticut the eighth US state to ban credit-card sports betting deposits, joining Massachusetts, New York, Tennessee, and others. The intent: limit a documented vector for problem-gambling debt accumulation.

Advertising Restrictions

The bill mandated that gambling advertisements and marketing in Connecticut “not offer any financial incentive in order to induce individuals to engage in gaming.”

In practical terms this would have constrained — possibly eliminated — many standard sportsbook promotions including welcome bonus advertising (“Bet $5, Get $200”), deposit-match offers, and bonus-bet incentives that drive customer acquisition. The advertising language was broad and operators raised significant concerns about its scope.

Why It Failed in the Senate

The bill stalled for two main reasons:

  1. Insufficient tribal industry consultation. Sources cited concern that the legislation moved through the House without adequate input from the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, the Mohegan Tribe, and the broader gaming industry. The tribal gaming compacts give the tribes meaningful weight in CT gaming policy, and bypassing that channel undercut Senate support.
  2. End-of-session timing. The bill cleared the House late enough in the 2025 legislative session that there wasn’t a clear path to Senate floor consideration before adjournment.

The Senate did not vote on HB 5269 and the bill died with the close of the 2025 session. Had it been enacted, the provisions would have taken effect on October 1, 2025.

What This Means for CT Bettors

As of mid-2026, the status quo continues:

  • Credit cards are still permitted for CT sports betting deposits, though several operators (notably FanDuel and DraftKings) had already voluntarily restricted credit-card use in some states. CT-specific operator policies vary.
  • Welcome bonus advertising remains active — “Bet $5, Get $200” and similar promotions continue to appear in CT media.
  • Multiple cards per platform are permitted under current CT rules.

Will It Come Back?

Lawmakers who supported HB 5269 — including responsible-gambling advocates and several House Democrats — have indicated they expect a similar bill to be introduced in the 2026 session, ideally with earlier tribal consultation. Whether the bill returns in identical form or with modifications (a narrower credit-card-only version, for instance) remains to be seen.

Read our full Connecticut sports betting legislation tracker for active 2026 bills and the broader regulatory picture.