(a) The Department of Consumer Protection shall not operate or authorize the operation of more than twenty-four off-track betting branch facilities, except that the department may operate or authorize the operation of any off-track betting branch facility approved prior to December 31, 1986, by the legislative body of a municipality in accordance with subsection (a) of section 12-572. Any facility approved prior to December 31, 1986, shall be included within the twenty-four facilities authorized by this subsection.

(b) The twenty-four off-track betting branch facilities authorized by subsection (a) of this section may include facilities which have screens for the simulcasting of off-track betting race programs or jai alai games and other amenities including, but not limited to, restaurants and concessions, and, on and after October 1, 2012, shall be located in the town and city of New Haven, the town of Windsor Locks, the town of East Haven, the town and city of Norwalk, the town and city of Hartford, the town and city of New Britain, the town and city of Bristol, the town and city of Torrington, the town and city of Waterbury, the town and city of Milford, the town and city of New London, the town of Manchester, the town of Windham, the town of Putnam, the town and city of Bridgeport and nine additional locations. The location of each such facility and the addition of simulcasting capability to any existing off-track betting branch facility that did not previously have such capability (1) shall be approved by the commissioner, and (2) shall be subject to the prior approval of the legislative body of the town in which such facility is located or is proposed to be located. The department shall report annually to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to legalized gambling on the status of the establishment or improvement of the off-track betting branch facility pursuant to this subsection.

(P.A. 79-297, S. 1, 2; 79-404, S. 6, 45; P.A. 81-46, S. 1, 4; P.A. 83-14, S. 1, 4; P.A. 85-14, S. 1, 4; P.A. 87-528, S. 1, 4; P.A. 89-282, S. 1, 5; 89-390, S. 24, 37; P.A. 91-309, S. 1, 10; 91-366, S. 1, 5; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-17, S. 30, 59; P.A. 93-332, S. 30, 42; P.A. 94-223, S. 1, 4; P.A. 97-277, S. 10, 13; P.A. 07-144, S. 1; P.A. 09-132, S. 1; P.A. 10-128, S. 1; P.A. 11-8, S. 1; 11-51, S. 182; P.A. 12-160, S. 1; P.A. 13-299, S. 67; P.A. 17-209, S. 3.)

History: P.A. 79-404 substituted division of special revenue for commission on special revenue; P.A. 81-46 extended the moratorium to June 30, 1983; P.A. 83-14 extended the moratorium to June 30, 1985; P.A. 85-14 extended the moratorium to June 30, 1987; P.A. 87-528 deleted all provisions in the section, substituting in lieu thereof a prohibition on the operation of more than eighteen off-track betting branch facilities from April 22, 1981, to June 30, 1989, and providing an exception for any facility approved before December 31, 1986, and authorizing the improvement of certain facilities; P.A. 89-282 amended Subsec. (a) to extend the moratorium to June 30, 1991; P.A. 89-390 amended Subsec. (a) to extend moratorium on off-track betting facilities from June 30, 1989, to June 30, 1991, amended Subsec. (b) to increase number of such facilities which may have simulcasting screens from 1 to 3, to restrict geographic location of facility authorized on or after July 6, 1989, to prohibit location of facility within any jai alai fronton authorized for operation on or after July 6, 1989, and to provide that location of each such facility shall be determined by executive director with consent of gaming policy board, subject to prior approval of legislative body of town in which such facility is proposed to be located; P.A. 91-309 amended Subsec. (b) to insert three Subdiv. designations within proviso, adding new language in Subdiv. (2) which required one off-track betting branch facility to be within the Plainfield dog track and to substitute Subpara. designations for Subdiv. designations in Subdiv. (1); P.A. 91-366 amended Subsec. (a) to extend moratorium on off-track betting facilities from June 30, 1991, to June 30, 1993; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-17 amended Subsec. (a) to remove the date for the expiration of the moratorium and remove references to the tele-track, Subsec. (b) to increase the simulcasting facilities from 3 to 4, adding a facility within the fronton or dog race track in Bridgeport and to provide that the Plainfield and Bridgeport facilities shall be operated in substantially the same manner; P.A. 93-332 amended section to allow operation of the off-track betting system by an authorized licensee, effective June 25, 1993; P.A. 94-223 amended Subsec. (b) to permit simulcasting facilities to also simulcast jai alai games, inserted new Subsec. (c) re operators of simulcasting facilities who intend to simulcast dog racing events or jai alai games at their facilities and relettered former Subsec. as Subsec. (d), effective June 8, 1994; P.A. 97-277 amended Subsec. (b) to increase from 4 to 8 the number of the 18 off-track betting branch facilities authorized to simulcast certain events, to specify that 4 of such facilities shall be geographically restricted, to delete proviso re zone of protection around Windsor Locks teletheater, to insert provision re authority to simulcast and to remove the state as one of the entities required to operate certain facilities, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 07-144 amended Subsec. (b) to permit ten facilities to simulcast, to name towns permitted to have facilities which simulcast and to delete provisions re dog race tracks, and deleted former Subsecs. (c) and (d), effective June 25, 2007; P.A. 09-132 amended Subsec. (b) to increase number of facilities permitted to have simulcasting from 10 to 12, added Milford and Putnam as locations for the facilities, added Subdiv. designators (1) and (2), added requirement for municipal and executive director approval for addition of simulcasting to an existing facility and made technical changes, effective June 18, 2009; P.A. 10-128 amended Subsec. (b) to increase number of facilities permitted to have simulcasting from 12 to 15 and added New London, Manchester and Windham as locations for facilities, effective June 21, 2010; P.A. 11-8 made technical changes, effective May 24, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Division of Special Revenue”, “division” and “executive director” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “Department of Consumer Protection”, “department” and “commissioner”, respectively, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-160 amended Subsec. (b) to delete provisions limiting to 15 the number of facilities permitted to have simulcasting and other amenities, provide that on and after October 1, 2012, the facilities shall be located in the specified towns and cities “and three additional locations” and make technical changes; P.A. 13-299 deleted references to Gaming Policy Board, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 17-209 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) by replacing “eighteen” with “twenty-four” re number of off-track betting branch facilities and amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “three” with “nine” re additional locations, effective July 10, 2017.