Town referendum on racing and fronton. Sunday operation for racing and jai alai events and off-track pari-mutuel betting on racing programs.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 12-574a
in effect12-574a. Town referendum on racing and fronton. Sunday operation for racing and jai alai events and off-track pari-mutuel betting on racing programs.
(a) Whenever a person or business organization files an application with the department for a license to conduct an activity regulated by section 12-574, exclusive of renewal license applications, the department shall forward within five days to the town clerk of the town within which such activity is proposed to be carried on a statement specifying the prospective applicant, the proposed activity, the site on which such activity is proposed to be conducted and the fact that an application has been filed with the department. Within ten days after such statement has been filed, such town clerk shall cause notice of such filing to be published in a newspaper having a circulation in the town wherein the activity is to be conducted. The question of the approval of the conducting of such activity shall be submitted to the electors of such town at a special election called for the purpose to be held not less than thirty nor more than sixty days after such publication, in conformity with the provisions of section 9-369, or at a regular town election if such election is to be held more than sixty but not more than one hundred twenty days after such publication, such question shall be so submitted and the vote shall be taken in the manner prescribed by said section 9-369. The town clerk shall notify the department of the results of such election. The disapproval of the conducting of such activity by a majority of those voting on the question shall be a bar to the granting of a license to such applicant to conduct such activity at such location. All costs incurred by a municipality in connection with such referendum shall be paid to said municipality by the person or business organization filing such application for such license. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any licensee authorized to operate the off-track betting system with respect to any off-track betting facility approved prior to June 25, 1993.
(b) No licensee may conduct any horse racing or jai alai event on any Sunday without the prior approval of the legislative body of the town in which the event is scheduled to take place.
(c) No licensee authorized to operate the off-track betting system may conduct any off-track pari-mutuel wagering on any racing program on any Sunday without the prior approval of the legislative body of the town in which such off-track betting facility is located.
(P.A. 73-600, S. 1, 2; P.A. 77-441; P.A. 79-404, S. 26, 45; P.A. 80-133, S. 5, 10; P.A. 81-50, S. 1, 2; 81-472, S. 17, 159; P.A. 83-81, S. 1, 2; 83-300, S. 1, 2; P.A. 85-42, S. 1, 2; P.A. 87-121, S. 1, 2; P.A. 91-309, S. 4, 10; P.A. 93-332, S. 34, 42; P.A. 96-151, S. 1, 3; P.A. 11-51, S. 182; P.A. 13-299, S. 71; P.A. 24-1, S. 3.)
History: P.A. 77-441 deleted provisions concerning petition as intermediary step between publication of notice and holding of referendum and added provision requiring costs of referendum to be paid by applicant for license; P.A. 79-404 substituted references to gaming policy board for references to commission on special revenue or its executive secretary and forbade holding of Sunday racing or jai alai meetings without approval of town legislative body; P.A. 80-133 substituted “business organization” and “licensee” for “firm, partnership, association or corporation” as necessary and “event” for “meeting”; P.A. 81-50 added the provision requiring the board to assign Sunday meeting dates, with some restrictions, if requested by the licensee after prior approval of the legislative body of the town involved; P.A. 81-472 made technical changes; P.A. 83-81 required the gaming policy board to permit a licensee to finish a Saturday evening performance by 1 a.m. on Sunday; P.A. 83-300 subdivided the section, adding Subsec. (c), permitting vendor licensees providing facilities, goods or services for an off-track betting system to conduct pari-mutuel wagering on harness or thoroughbred racing events on Sunday only with prior approval of the town's legislative body; P.A. 85-42 amended Subsec. (a), permitting executive director to authorize vendor licensees to conduct make-up performances; P.A. 87-121 amended Subsec. (c) to delete references to “harness or thoroughbred” racing “event” or “performances” and substitute racing “program” in lieu thereof and to provide for the conduct of wagering on afternoon and evening racing programs in Subdiv. (3); P.A. 91-309 added Subsec. (d), requiring only prior approval of the legislative body of the town in event division or board issues a license pursuant to Sec. 12-574c(c); P.A. 93-332 amended Subsec. (a) to exempt a licensee authorized to operate the off-track betting systems from the provisions of said Subsec. and amended Subsec. (c) to make changes re the operation of the off-track betting systems by an authorized licensee, effective June 25, 1993; P.A. 96-151 amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) to delete provisions restricting Sunday operation for licensees, effective July 1, 1996; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “division” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “department” in Subsec. (d), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-299 amended Subsec. (a) to replace references to Gaming Policy Board with references to “department” and make a technical change, and amended Subsec. (d) to delete “or the board”, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 24-1 amended Subsec. (b) by adding “horse” and deleted former Subsec. (d) re town legislative body's prior approval of dog racing licenses issued to certain jai alai licensees.
Source: Connecticut General Assembly (cga.ct.gov)URL: https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_226.htm#sec_12-574aFetched: 10/20/2026