Exclusion of certain individuals. On or after January 1, 2023, the Division of Gaming in the DOR
must operate a program to exclude the following individuals from participation in gaming activities:
individuals who have voluntarily requested to be excluded, through a process established by the
division;
individuals who are required by the commission to be excluded or ejected from a licensed gaming
establishment, as is currently allowed; and
certain sports betting individuals from placing wagers on certain sporting events.
Rules for this provision must be adopted by November 1, 2022, and a list of excluded individuals must
be provided to licensed gaming operators.
Reporting. By October 1, 2023, and each year thereafter, retail licensees, sports betting operators, and
internet sports betting operators must submit a report to the division that describes efforts of the
licensee to promote responsible gaming via advertising and other promotional methods.
Lottery changes. For FY 2022-23 and each year thereafter, the bill requires that the General Assembly
appropriate $200,000 from the Lottery Fund to the Lottery Division for the promotion of responsible
gaming in the state. The bill repeals the provision that the Lottery Commission rules must require
instant scratch game tickets be sold on a cash only basis.
Background
Sports Betting. Following voter approval in November 2019, House Bill 19-1327 took effect and
allowed both in-person and online sports betting beginning May 2020. The legislation established a
10 percent tax on net sports betting proceeds, and created the Sports Betting Fund, the Wagering
Recipients Hold-Harmless Fund, and the Water Plan Implementation Fund. After covering
administrative expenses, 6.0 percent of sports betting tax revenue is transferred to the Hold-Harmless
Fund, $130,000 is transferred to the Office of Behavioral Health in the Department of Human Services,
and remaining funds are transferred to the Water Plan Implementation Fund.
Under current law, net sports betting proceeds are equal to wagers less payments to players, a
0.25 percent federal excise tax, and free bets. Since inception, free bets have totaled about 3.6 percent
of total wagers.
Sports betting revenue is comprised of license fees, operations fees, other charges for services, and tax
revenue, among other sources. License fees, operations fees, and other charges for services are subject
to TABOR while sports betting tax revenue is TABOR exempt. In FY 2020-21, sports betting wagers
totaled more than $2.7 billion and $2.6 billion was paid out to players. In FY 2020-21, sports betting
tax revenue totaled $8.1 million, resulting in a transfer of $488,782 to the Wagering Recipients
Hold-Harmless Fund.
Wagering Recipients Hold-Harmless Fund. Created by House Bill 19-1327, the hold-harmless fund
distributes payments to communities or entities that may have lost revenue due to sports betting.
Payments are distributed through an application process administered by the gaming commission.