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Substitute House Bill No. 5095

Public Act No. 12-160

AN ACT CONCERNING OFF-TRACK BETTING BRANCH FACILITIES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 12-571a of the 2012 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2012):

(a) The Department of Consumer Protection and the Gaming Policy Board shall not operate or authorize the operation of more than eighteen off-track betting branch facilities, except that the department and the board 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 eighteen facilities authorized by this subsection.

(b) The eighteen off-track betting branch facilities authorized by subsection (a) of this section may include [fifteen] 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, [provided, on and after June 21, 2010, the fifteen facilities that have simulcasting] and, on and after the effective date of this section, 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, [and in] the town and city of Bridgeport and three 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 with the consent of the Gaming Policy Board, 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.

Approved June 15, 2012