Changes Coming To Sales Of Sealed Tickets

HARTFORD — Sealed ticket games are a popular and effective fundraising item for nonprofit organizations across the state.

Any Connecticut charitable, civic, educational, fraternal, veterans’ or religious organization, volunteer fire department or grange, can apply to the Department of Consumer Protection’s Gaming Division for a permit, allowing the organization to sell Connecticut sealed ticket games as fundraising items in conjunction with any permitted charitable gaming activity, social function, or event.

The state has long been the sole source for Connecticut’s sealed ticket games, but a new law authorizes the Gaming Division to permit privately owned sealed ticket distributors, beginning this spring.

To implement this change, sealed ticket game product manufacturers and distributors may register with the Department of Consumer Protection for authorization to manufacture, sell, or distribute tickets in Connecticut.

“Several manufacturers and distributors are ready to be registered, and we look forward to making available a greater variety of sealed ticket products for purchase by nonprofit organizations for their charitable efforts,” Consumer Protection Commissioner William M. Rubenstein said February 14. “The Gaming Division will maintain regulatory oversight of all sealed ticket activity and will continue to issue the permits to nonprofit organizations who want to sell the games as part of a fundraising effort.”

The Gaming Division is depleting its existing supply of sealed tickets and when the transition is complete later this year, organizations with sealed ticket permits will buy only from Connecticut-registered distributors, rather than from the state.

The department will notify charitable organizations and the public of the exact date for the switch to private, registered vendors when it becomes known.

Two forms that are required for registering as a sealed ticket manufacturer or distributor; these are available through the consumer protection agency’s website at ct.gov/dcp.

For information on purchasing sealed tickets, contact the Gaming Division at dcp.gamingcharitable@ct.gov or at 860-713-6140.