Colorado Governor Blocks Casino Credit Bill

Gov. Jared Polis has found the bill to be vastly inappropriate and said that it was impossible for him to go ahead and approve it. The bill went through some legislative rollercoaster with lawmakers who originally not supporting it, changing their minds, and ultimately sending it to Gov. Polis’ desk.

No Credit to Be Extended to Patrons in Casinos – For Now

It was there where SB23-259 had its fiercest opposition yet with the governor arguing that the proposal to extend credit markets of $1,000 or more was inappropriate. He argued that there were ethical and legal concerns with this legislation. For one, how is the state to ensure that people with substance or gambling disorders are protected when they can tap into credit to play more?

This invites a dangerous way for casinos to interact with their patrons and one that Gov. Polis simply could not approve of. Gov. Polis is one of the public figures to have changed his mind on the bill himself, however. He previously vowed support for SB23-259 in the sense he wanted to see more tourists motivated to visit Colorado.

The bill, he thought previously, could have made it possible to attract more VIP customers and casino-goers who come from across the state border, a win-win for local businesses and the state. The original design of the bill though is not to instigate social malaise but to rather offer high rollers and other VIP customers convenience.

Not Designated for the Right Type of Customers

High rollers traveling with high amounts of cash may not feel entirely comfortable taking the trip to Colorado and its casinos. However, if a person can apply for credit beforehand, that is another matter altogether, the logic goes.

Meanwhile, Colorado’s casino properties have been looking to attract more clientele from across the border with Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, Nebraska, and Kansas. Gov. Pois is not entirely convinced that SB23-259 was worded properly.

He explained his lack of support for the bill by explaining that the bill failed to focus on out-of-state high rollers. Gov. Polis would have expected the bill to have been specifically targeting that cohort of VIP visitors and not locals. The veto comes as a blow to lawmakers who expected to see the bill signed into law. They would now have to wait for the next legislative session most likely.