Colorado Lawmakers Are Mulling over New Gambling Restrictions

Colorado has, since 2019, had online sports betting, allowing players to wager from the comfort of their homes or while on the road. In addition to that, the Colorado Lottery recently went digital in response to the growing popularity of the controversial lottery couriers. Now, however, lawmakers are seeking to restrain the fast-growing gaming industry amid various safer gaming concerns.

Colorado Could Ban Player Prop Bets

The Colorado Senate just passed two bills that, if signed into law, would restrain the state’s gaming and lottery industries. One of them seeks to impose limits on sports betting advertising and ban the divisive prop bets, while the other looks to snuff out the state’s online lottery.

The first of the two measures is Senate Bill 131, which seeks to restrain the sports betting industry by putting limits on TV betting ads, banning prop bets, and introducing deposit limits.

Prop bets, in particular, have become notorious due to their association with betting-motivated athlete harassment. The NCAA has long promoted the ban of prop bets on student athletes, arguing that they cause significant distress to younger players.

In the meantime, deposit limits would inhibit addiction by minimizing loss chasing. Senator Matt Ball emphasized that gambling addiction is the only addiction where those affected believe that doing it more is the cure. While he acknowledged that betting can absolutely be done responsibly, he emphasized that there should be certain limits in order to shield the most vulnerable players.

The bill was scrutinized by online betting powerhouse DraftKings, which emphasized that too much regulation could alienate players and push them to the much more dangerous offshore market.  

However, SB 131 passed the Senate Finance Committee with a narrow vote.

SB 117 Would Halt Colorado’s Online Lottery

Several days prior to the passing of SB 131, the Senate Finance Committee passed a separate measure that, if signed into law, would halt Colorado’s online lottery. Supporters of that bill expressed concerns that the games offered by the lottery are becoming too similar to gambling, while allowing players to fuel their accounts with credit cards.

SB 117 is the brainchild of Senator Jeff Bridges, who believes that the proliferation of online lottery gaming has been worrying and akin to fentanyl. He emphasized that the most avid players tend to be lower-income citizens, making online gaming products especially dangerous.