On the heels of a DraftKings partnership with Delta Air Lines, a Connecticut lawmaker is looking to legalize in-flight sports betting.
Rep. Christopher Rosario introduced House Bill 6051 this week, which would legalize Connecticut sports betting during flights in the state. The bill was referred to the Joint Committee on General Law.
Rosario’s bill is the first of its kind, with Rosario filing it just two weeks after DraftKings announced its partnership with a leading US airline.
Connecticut in-flight sports betting
Rosario’s bill would authorize sports betting on flights originating or terminating in Connecticut.
The legislation stipulates the in-flight wagering must comply with existing state laws. That includes its agreements with the Connecticut Lottery Corp., the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and the Mohegan Tribe.
It also would allocate 1% of in-flight wagering revenue toward public education.
Connecticut sports betting framework
CT sports betting launched in 2021. There are three online sportsbooks in the state:
- DraftKings with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
- Fanatics with the Connecticut Lottery
- FanDuel with the Mohegan Tribe
The state taxes sports betting revenue at 13.75%. A lawmaker has already filed multiple bills to update the state’s sports betting laws this session.
DraftKings partnership with Delta
Delta CEO Ed Bastian announced the partnership between the airline and DraftKings at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show this month in Las Vegas.
There has not been an official release from either company. The two parties are ironing out details, but according to The Points Guy, DraftKings “will build on the carrier’s existing portfolio of inflight games.”
There has been a federal ban on gambling on airplanes since the Gambling Devices Act of 1962.
Criticism of airline partnership
Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut was quick to call out the partnership. Blumenthal is an online gambling critic and a co-sponsor of the SAFE Bet Act.
The US senator wrote a letter to Bastian and DraftKings CEO Jason Robins. He asked for detailed written protections to protect the public by Jan. 28.
“This new partnership advances the proliferation of sports betting, further fueling a crisis of problem gambling,” the letter reads. “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.”