Committee Hears Industry, Consumer Groups on Betting: Odds Errors, Promotions, Deposits and Youth Protections

Representative Scott opened the public hearing portion with proposals in HB 1464 addressing immediate disclosure when sportsbooks discover errors and new consumer notifications when accounts are limited. He said sportsbooks should be required to inform bettors of obvious price or odds errors before an event begins so bettors can choose to accept corrected odds rather than learn of an error after the contest ends.

Industry response: DraftKings and FanDuel testified in writing and orally, asking the committee to reject or substantially rewrite several provisions. Both companies told the committee that the proposed deposit‑approval language in bills such as HB 52 69 (and related drafts) — which would require that every named account‑holder approve debit or credit deposits — is impossible under existing card networks and banking rails. Worldpay Gaming Solutions and payment‑industry witnesses confirmed that existing payment flows do not provide a way for a processor to verify every named account holder and their prior consent at the time funds are authorized.

On odds and error corrections: Operators told the committee they will refund wagers that have a known error and that, if a provision is adopted, it should be narrowly written so a mistake in one market (for example a mispriced long‑odds individual bet) does not require canceling or limiting unrelated markets for the same event. DraftKings asked the committee to confine any rule to the specific market affected and noted industry practices already call for avoiding offers with a known error.

On promotions, advertising and college‑targeting: Industry witnesses urged the committee not to ban promotions or advertising credits. DraftKings and FanDuel argued promotions are a standard part of the regulated offering and are also an important tool to draw consumers away from illegal offshore operators that are not subject to state consumer protections. Representative Scott and others acknowledged concerns about enticement offers to younger people, college students and those with problem gambling tendencies; problem‑gambling groups and the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling urged stronger restrictions on targeted commercials and more robust links to exclusion and treatment resources. The helpline manager told the committee many calls to the problem‑gambling hotline are account or customer‑service questions, and recommended a dedicated customer line be provided by operators so callers seeking help are not routed to clinical services lines.

Deposit methods and credit cards: Several legislators asked whether limiting deposits to debit cards (or otherwise banning credit card funding) should be considered as a consumer‑protection measure. Industry and payments witnesses noted tradeoffs: some jurisdictions ban credit cards, but payment networks and operators warned an across‑the‑board restriction could push customers to less regulated channels and remove certain buyer protections. Worldpay said credit‑card mechanics (as currently implemented in most jurisdictions) cannot accommodate a requirement that every joint account holder explicitly approve each deposit.

Responsible‑gaming tools: Operators and advocates described available customer controls — voluntary cooling‑off, deposit limits, self‑exclusion and specialized opt‑outs (for example, restricting particular sports) — and committee members asked companies to expand options such as sport‑specific self‑exclusions and clearer notices on opting out of targeted marketing. Representative Maroney suggested publicizing consumers’ ability to opt out of targeted advertising as an interim step.

Ending: Committee members signaled a desire to continue negotiations. Industry witnesses urged narrowly targeted statute language to avoid unintended market migration to illegal offshore sites; problem‑gambling advocates pressed for stronger marketing, deposit and promotional limits to protect vulnerable cohorts, especially college‑age men.