We’ve all been told how long the odds are, and how unlikely we are to win. Even so, we still can’t resist the allure of just one ticket taking us from financial stress to financial freedom. Trading a couple dollars for a chance at millions seems like a no-brainer. But where do our couple dollars go? And what Constitution State laws regulate the games we play and guarantee our potential payouts? Here is a basic overview of lotteries laws in Connecticut.
Lotteries Laws
In the states that run them, lottery laws regulate everything where, how, and to whom tickets can be sold, the time limits for claiming prizes, and which programs will receive lottery revenues. The majority of states have a general fund where most of their lottery proceeds are allocated, and from there, lottery revenue is earmarked for specific projects. Connecticut puts 28% of all lottery proceeds in the state’s general fund. Out of that, 24% goes towards state Medicaid programs and 14.1% goes to both the Department of Education and State Service.
Lotteries Laws in Connecticut
Connecticut has had a state lottery since 1972, and created the Connecticut Lottery Corporation to administer the games and allocate lottery revenue. Lottery games include both in-state games like Play3, Play4, Cash5 and 5 Card Cash and multi-jurisdictional lotteries like Mega Millions, Powerball, and Lucky For Life. In the 2014 fiscal year, the Connecticut lottery paid out $668.7M in prizes and contributed another $319.5M to the state’s general fund. In its 44 years, the lottery has raised more than $8.2 billion in state revenue. Connecticut’s state lotteries statutes are detailed in the chart below.
| Code Section | General Statutes of Connecticut Title 12-568, et seq.: Operation of Lotteries; General Statutes of Connecticut Title 12-800, et seq.: Connecticut Lottery Corporation |
| Distribution of Lottery Revenue | - |
| Additional Purpose of Lottery | - |
| Lottery Prize Subject to Garnishment | - |
| Time Limit to Claim Prize/Disposition | - |
| Prohibited Related Activities | Forgery/counterfeiting tickets; sale to minors; sale of out-of-state lottery tickets; unlicensed sale; at greater price §12-568 repealed 7/1/96 |
Connecticut State Lotteries Laws: Related Resources
State lotteries regulations and the laws dictating where the revenue is allocated can be confusing. You can contact a Connecticut gaming law attorney in your area if you would like legal assistance regarding a lottery law issue. You can also visit FindLaw’s section on Gaming Law for more resources and information on this topic.
