Connecticut Bill Would Allow In-Flight Sports Betting on Commercial Flights

^{The race to see who can provide, and profit from, in-flight sports betting is on. (Image: Taidgh Barron / ZUMA Press Wire)}

A Connecticut legislator wants the state to legalize sports betting on flights arriving and departing from the state, expanding the scope of where and when bettors can wager on sporting events.

The bill, known as HB6051, was introduced by Connecticut State Representative Christopher Rosario (D-Bridgeport).

Bill Filed in Response to Delta, DraftKings Partnership

The short bill consists of just one paragraph, which would modify the Connecticut general statutes to “authorize and regulate in-flight sports wagering on scheduled flights originating or terminating in this state.” It also requires any such betting to comply with current state laws and agreements with operators, while allocating one percent of revenue from in-flight betting to support public education in rural and urban school districts.

The move comes about a week after Delta CEO Ed Bastian announced that the airline would be partnering with online gambling firm DraftKings to provide inflight games for the airline, though it’s unclear exactly what that will mean for Delta flyers.

It likely won’t mean real money sports betting on Delta flights, at least not yet. There are a couple of federal laws that prevent any sort of gambling activity on airplanes, including the Gambling Devices Act of 1962, which banned the practice on domestic flights, and the 1994 Gorton Amendment, which extended that ban to international flights originating from the United States.

Those laws would also prevent the type of in-flight wagering that Rosario’s bill is trying to legalize in Connecticut. However, he says that the goal here is to stay ahead of developments like the DraftKings partnership with Delta.

“While respecting federal regulations, we must acknowledge in-flight betting’s inevitable growth,” Rosario told SBC Americas. “HB6051 positions our state for revenue opportunities, fostering local economic development. My bill ensures Connecticut benefits financially if deals like DraftKings-Delta take off.”

Blumenthal Blasts In-Flight Betting Partnership

But while Rosario my be hoping to take advantage of the opportunity, he doesn’t have the support of all lawmakers in his state. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) has been a proponent of reining in the sports betting industry across the United States, and came out against the in-flight gaming partnership between DraftKings and Delta. 

“This new partnership advances the proliferation of sports betting, further fueling a crisis of problem gambling,” Blumenthal said in a statement. “Betting companies have leveraged data collected on consumers to entice them through bonuses and promotions to hook them on this addictive product – resulting in a public health crisis that is producing huge costs in addiction, financial ruin, family disruption and much more.”

“Problem gambling is particularly rampant among young people,” Blumenthal added. “Given that a significant number of minors fly each year, I am especially concerned that this partnership could be advertised or available to children, enticing them to engage in betting.”

In September, Blumenthal announced his introduction of the SAFE Bet Act, a law that would require states with legalized sports betting to apply for approval to offer wagering with the US Justice Department. 

Connecticut currently offers online sports betting and casino games via three operators who have partnered with online gaming brands: The Connecticut Lottery, which has partnered with Fanatics, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which operates Foxwoods Casino and has partnered with DraftKings, and the Mohegan Tribe, which operates Mohegan Sun and has partnered with FanDuel for online operations.