A bill that would prohibit greyhound racing in Connecticut has passed its first reading in the state’s House of Representatives.
The bill, titled HB 5174, was introduced on February 17 2022. It was then referred to the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Security, and is now due for a public committee hearing tomorrow (February 22).
It is sponsored by Representative Nicole Klarides-Ditria.
A similar bill reached the state Senate in 2017, but was rejected at House level.
The bill would amend a number of aspects of the state’s general statutes, removing all allowances for dog racing.
It stipulates that the Department of Consumer Protection will not issue licenses allowing any person, corporation or association to conduct dog racing in the state.
However, it states that operators of off-track betting facilities are allowed to conduct wagering on dog racing that occurs out of state.
If passed into law, the bill will take effect on 1 October 2022.
Greyhound racing is currently illegal in 41 US states.
In October, Connecticut launched online gaming and sports betting in the state. A total of 1.2 million bets were placed in its first week, with total sports betting handle reaching $54.1m in the first 20 days.