Connecticut Online Poker

You can play online poker in Connecticut and win real money prizes on sweepstakes poker sites. This is your best choice if you’re in the Nutmeg State 🌰 and want to play online poker and win cash prizes.

Before we jump in to discuss these options and our recommendations, know that CT is one of eight states where real money online poker is legal — and yet it is also unavailable. (Connecticut isn’t alone — three other states have the same issue, albeit for different reasons).

Connecticut got in this fix because its two tribal casinos, the only entities authorized to offer igaming in the state, formed partnerships with two operators that don’t offer online poker. The casinos aren’t allowed to form separate partnerships by vertical so regulated real money online poker is effectively stuck at the starting line.

The state’s gaming law also specifically prohibits shared liquidity. That could be problematic for what would be a small online poker market (Connecticut has 3.6 million residents). Real money online poker operators like PokerStars and WSOP would just assume skip CT entirely if there were no shared liquidity.

Pokerfuse recommends Clubs Poker for sweepstakes poker in Connecticut. It’s a new platform based in the US that runs on modern software and has many features that players are sure to love. Clubs Poker hosts ring games, tournaments, and sit & gos, and offers an online poker experience that rivals the best online poker software in the world.

Connecticuters can also visit free-play poker sites. These sites are a useful tool for new players to help them with things like memorizing the strength of poker hands or learning how betting works in poker games. We recommend free-play sites for new players or for anyone who just wants to play for free — just know that these sites aren’t particularly helpful if you’re trying to hone a strategy to play poker for real money.

Can I play online poker in Connecticut?

Yes, you can play online poker from anywhere in Connecticut! You also have options on where to play online — it all depends on whether you want to play for prizes that can be redeemed for real money or you just want to play a few hands of poker for free.

If you’re looking for a chance to win prizes that are worth real money, we recommend playing sweepstakes poker, which is explained later in this guide. Sweepstakes poker sites offer an online poker experience that feels closest to a real cash game. Meanwhile, for new players, we recommend free-play sites where you don’t have to spend any money.

The Best Online Poker Sites in Connecticut

If you’re in Connecticut and you’re looking for an online poker experience that’s as close as you can get to playing in a real cash game, we recommend playing sweepstakes poker.

There are actually two types of sites for sweepstakes poker. You can win prizes redeemable for real money playing on both types of poker sites.

First, there are subscription-based sites. They’re a pretty simple concept — players get access to daily tournaments for a monthly fee. The second type of site follows a so-called “modern” sweepstakes model, which is a little more complicated. Players use real money to buy play tokens, which are usually called Gold Coins by the gaming industry.

When players buy Gold Coins they are gifted a second type of token, a Sweeps Coin. These are considered entries into a sweepstakes. Players collect Sweeps Coins and when they have enough use them to enter ring games and tournaments. These offer prizes that can be redeemed for real money.

There are upsides to both types of sites. Modern sweepstakes poker sites offer a style of poker that’s closer to real money, while subscription-based sites appeal to more casual players.

Clubs Poker

Clubs Poker is a new online poker site that’s available to players in Connecticut and follows the modern sweepstakes model. We recommend Clubs Poker because it runs on modern software and has many excellent features. We also project that one day it will grow to become the best room in the US.

The platform offers a wide variety of mixed game poker variants. Clubs Poker appeals to recreational players, so we expect there will be plenty of soft games. Clubs Poker is based in Philadelphia.

Read our full review of Clubs Poker »

Stake.us Poker

Stake.us Poker is a great option for free play or social poker games. Tournaments, ring games, sit & gos are all available. Popular poker variants available on the site include No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha. Welcome bonuses and promotions are also available.

Read our full review of Stake.us Poker »

ClubWPT

ClubWPT is a subscription poker site that’s available in Connecticut. Players pay a monthly fee for access to daily tournaments, which offer prizes that can be cashed in for real money.

Since ClubWPT is focused exclusively on tournaments, players can’t win real money prizes through ring games. But ClubWPT offers tournaments every day and players can win access to events on the World Poker Tour, a very popular online poker brand known worldwide.

Read our full review of ClubWPT »

Global Poker

Global Poker is another site that follows the modern sweepstakes model, where players use real money to buy play tokens (aka Gold Coins) and receive Sweeps Coins as a gift. Players use Sweeps Coins to gain access to sweepstakes tables, where players can win prizes that can be redeemed for real money.

Australia-based Global Poker launched in 2016. Since then, the site has grown to hosting major tournament series every year with millions guaranteed. The operator also offers special prizes for winners, including custom-made trophies, merchandise, and unique avatars.

Read our full review of Global Poker »

Free-Play Poker in Connecticut

What if you want to play online poker in Connecticut, but you want to play for free? Maybe you’re new to the game and are still trying to memorize the hand rankings? Or maybe you’re still not familiar with how betting works in a poker game? Or maybe you just don’t feel like spending any money?

If you fall into any of those situations (or others), you’re covered! There are several free-play poker apps and websites available to players in the Nutmeg State.

The most popular free-play sites include titles like Zynga Poker, Replay Poker, and Governor of Poker. Most social media platforms offer online poker for free, too. And two of the most well-known real money online poker brands, PokerStars and WSOP, also have free-play sites.

You can learn a lot about online poker by playing on free-play sites, but your insight into poker strategy will be limited. That’s because you’re not spending any money when you play on a free-play site. Not spending money can affect players’ decision-making processes.

We recommend free-play sites for new players.

Real Money Online Poker in Connecticut

Connecticut is one of eight US states where real money online poker is legal. Unfortunately, regulated real money online poker is live in just half of those states — and Connecticut isn’t one of them.

Lawmakers in the Connecticut General Assembly passed a bill legalizing online poker, casino gaming, and sports betting in May 2021. Democratic Governor Ned Lamont signed the bill into law later that month. Online sports betting launched in September of that year, followed by online casino in October 2021.

The law authorized the state’s two tribal casinos, Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun, to partner with one operator to conduct igaming in the state. Foxwoods ultimately decided to form a partnership with DraftKings while Mohegan Sun picked FanDuel as its igaming partner. Online casinos and poker rooms are taxed at 18% for the first five years, increasing to 20% for the sixth year and beyond. Sports betting is taxed at 13.75%.

According to the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (CDCP), which serves as the state’s gaming regulator, state law does not allow multiple operators to be associated with a gaming license. But it also remains unclear how the CDCP defines “skin” and “operator.”

Gaming laws in Connecticut also do not allow shared liquidity, meaning that Connecticut will be a segregated market if one of the two tribal casinos launch an online poker product. It doesn’t appear that operators are allowed to share liquidity with in-state partners, either (meaning, for example, that BetMGM couldn’t share liquidity with Bwin Poker and partypoker, like it does in Ontario).

Connecticut would also not be able to join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), a gaming compact that supports online poker by allowing operators to combine player pools across its member states. MSIGA currently includes Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and West Virginia.

How Connecticut Could Move Forward

Membership in MSIGA would help Connecticut grow its regulated space for real money online poker. But lawmakers would first need to amend the state’s gaming laws to allow shared liquidity.

If lawmakers change the law and make shared liquidity legal, there are three scenarios considered the most likely for helping bring regulated real money online poker to Connecticut:

• DraftKings or FanDuel could acquire an online poker platform. There’s a precedent for the idea — rival Rush Street Interactive (RSI) acquired the Run It Once Poker poker platform in March 2022.
• Either operator could partner with a third party, whose software would power an online poker room called “DraftKings Poker, Powered by [Third Party],” or something similar.
• FanDuel’s parent company, Flutter Entertainment, could license one of its online poker platforms (PokerStars would be the most likely choice) to FanDuel, thereby creating an online poker room called “FanDuel Poker, Powered by PokerStars,” for example.

Live Poker in Connecticut

If you’re interested in live poker in Connecticut, you have two options — the poker rooms at the state’s two tribal casinos. You will find live poker every day at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket and at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville.

Foxwoods Resort Casino

Foxwoods Resort Casino hosts tournaments daily from its poker room. Most play is No-Limit Texas Hold’em (NLH), but 7-Card Stud, Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Omaha Hi-Lo games are also offered. The poker room also hosts WSOP Main Event qualifiers. Foxwoods is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe.

Mohegan Sun

The poker room at the Mohegan Sun hosts daily poker tournaments, and features NLH and bounty tournaments as well. Daily cash game variants include 7-Card Stud, Texas Hold’em, NLH, Omaha, Razz, Badugi, and 2-7 Triple Draw. The Mohegan Tribe owns and operates the facility.

According to the website PokerAtlas, the poker room at Foxwoods has 35 tables while players will find 33 tables at Mohegan Sun:

Connecticut Online Poker FAQ

Is online poker legal in Connecticut?

Yes, you can play online poker in Connecticut and win prizes that can be redeemed for real money! We recommend sweepstakes poker sites, of which there are two types: subscription-based poker sites, and so-called “modern” sweepstakes poker sites.

Can I play modern sweepstakes poker in Connecticut?

Yes, you can play modern sweepstakes poker sites in Connecticut. On these sites, players use real money to buy play tokens (aka Gold Coins) but are also gifted Sweeps Coins — the latter are used to gain entry to sweepstakes tables that offer real money prizes. We recommend Clubs Poker.

Are there online ring games in Connecticut?

Yes, you can find ring games on Clubs Poker, a modern sweepstakes poker site (see previous Q). Players must use Sweeps Coins to enter games that offer prizes redeemable for real money.

Can I play subscription poker in Connecticut?

Yes, subscription poker sites — where players pay a monthly fee to access tables that offer real money prizes — are available in Connecticut.

Does Connecticut have online tournaments?

Yes, Clubs Poker has a schedule that is packed with tournaments. The site holds daily, weekly, and monthly tournaments.

What types of poker games are available online?

Many of the tournaments on Clubs Poker are No-Limit Texas Hold’em (NLH) but other variants like Omaha Hi-Lo are available. You will also find bounty tournaments and sit-and-go (SNG) tournaments on Clubs Poker.

Who is the gaming regulator in Connecticut?

The gaming division of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (CDCP) serves as the state’s gaming regulator.

Does Connecticut have real money online poker?

Real money online poker is legal in Connecticut but there are no operators in the state’s regulated market. That’s because neither DraftKings nor FanDuel, the two operators currently partnered with the state’s two tribal casinos for online casino and sports betting, have an online poker platform.

Will a real money online poker operator enter Connecticut’s regulated market anytime soon?

It’s unclear when there will be operators offering real money online poker in Connecticut’s regulated space. At this stage, the three most likely scenarios moving forward would be:

• DraftKings or FanDuel acquire an online poker platform
• Either operator partners with a third party supplier for online poker software
• Flutter Entertainment licenses one of its online poker platforms (i.e. PokerStars) to FanDuel for a unique offering in the Connecticut market

Is PokerStars legal in Connecticut?

No, PokerStars only operates in markets where it can legally do so. But there has been speculation that if lawmakers were to amend the state’s gaming laws (and allow Connecticut’s two tribal casinos to partner with more than one operator) that PokerStars could be added to the Mohegan Sun license. That’s because FanDuel and PokerStars are both brands of Flutter Entertainment.

Can I play online poker on offshore sites?

Offshore poker sites don’t offer the same consumer protections as legal regulated sites and are therefore not recommended. You put yourself at risk of identity theft when you disclose your personal information on offshore poker sites. Federal officials have also warned US citizens not to play poker on offshore sites because they have no legal recourse to collect their winnings.

Can I play GGPoker in Connecticut?

GGPoker is not available in Connecticut. Instead, you can sign up for Clubs Poker, which provides a variety of poker games in a social environment, perfect for connecting with fellow players.

Can I play PokerStars in Connecticut?

PokerStars is not available in Connecticut. Clubs Poker is an excellent alternative, where you can participate in fun games and tournaments while enjoying a supportive community.

Can I play WSOP in Connecticut?

WSOP is not available for online play in Connecticut. Clubs Poker offers a fantastic option, featuring a range of games and a welcoming atmosphere for all skill levels.