Will Connecticut join its poker player pool with other states?

Author

Vargoso

Published

3/15/2025

Updated

3/15/2025

SB 1464 was introduced in the Connecticut Senate. If the bill passes, the state's governor will have the power to sign an agreement allowing legal Connecticut poker rooms to join their player pools with those of other states.

Connecticut Lawmakers Introduce Online Poker Pool Bill

SB 1464 and Online Poker in Connecticut

On May 27, 2021, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed a law authorizing online gambling. Connecticut then became the seventh state in which poker rooms could be licensed.

Why hasn't a legal poker room opened in Connecticut in the last four years? This is because the state has only 3.7 million residents, and poker room owners have felt that it wouldn't have enough liquidity to be profitable. This situation could change this year.

SB 1464 was introduced in the Connecticut Senate in March 2025. One of the points included in the document is giving the governor the power to join the Multi-State Internet Gaming
Agreement.

Thanks to the MSIGA, Delaware, New Jersey, Nevada, and Michigan residents can play at the same tables. However, to date, only WSOP.com operates jointly in the four states.

The legislative sessions will run until June 4, so if the new rules are approved, they will go into effect on July 2.

Experts believe that the first poker rooms combining the player pools of Connecticut with those of other states will enter the market in 2026.

Which poker rooms will be the first in Connecticut?

The expansion in the number of states where online poker is legal increases competition among the major operators. In fact, the number of licensed poker rooms is increasing.

It's certain that one of the three major brands will be one of the first to enter the Connecticut market: BetMGM, WSOP, or PokerStars. We shouldn't lose sight of the new room, BetRivers Poker, as it won't be able to compete if it continues to operate only in Pennsylvania.

Interestingly, as of 2021, only two gambling sites have decided to operate legally in Connecticut: DraftKings and FanDuel. The former could attract a significant number of poker players from the state.

In August 2024, Electric Poker (Spin & Go tournaments ranging from $1 to $50) launched at the DraftKings casino in Michigan, while in New Jersey, they went live in March 2025. DraftKings only needs to make minor changes to its website to operate in Connecticut after July 1, 2025.

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