| Summary |
Section 1 of the bill creates the responsible gaming grant program
(grant program) in the department of revenue to promote responsible
gaming in the state. The Colorado limited gaming control commission
(gaming commission), in collaboration with the behavioral health
administration, is required to administer the grant program and award
grants to eligible applicants from money in the responsible gaming grant
program cash fund (cash fund), which is also created in the bill. An
eligible applicant means an agency of the state government, a local
government, or, with certain exceptions, a nonprofit organization.
The gaming commission, in collaboration with the behavioral
health administration, is required to promulgate rules to implement the
grant program. At a minimum, the rules must specify the time frames for
applying for grants, the form of the grant program application, and the
time frames for distributing grant money. To receive a grant, an eligible
applicant must submit an application that includes the following
information:
• The amount of grant money requested by the eligible
applicant;
• How the eligible applicant will spend the grant money to
address problem gaming or increase awareness of
responsible gaming;
• Information concerning any current or past projects in
which the eligible applicant has participated and that
addressed responsible gaming or problem gaming; and
• Any other information required by rules promulgated by
the gaming commission.
In reviewing applications, the gaming commission, in
collaboration with the behavioral health administration, is required to
consider certain criteria, and grantees may use grant money only for the
purposes for which the grant money is awarded.
On or before September 1, 2023, and on or before September 1
each year thereafter, each grantee must submit a report to the gaming
commission concerning the use of grant money. On or before December
1, 2023, and on or before December 1 each year thereafter for the
duration of the grant program, the gaming commission must submit a
summarized report to the legislative committees of reference.
The grant program is repealed, effective September 1, 2032.
Before the repeal, the grant program is scheduled for a sunset review by
the department of regulatory agencies.
Section 1 also requires the division of gaming (gaming division),
on and after January 1, 2023, to operate a program to exclude certain
individuals from all or certain gaming activities in the state. The gaming
division must operate the exclusion program in accordance with rules
promulgated by the gaming commission.
Section 2 requires retail gaming licensees, sports betting operators,
and internet sports betting operators (licensees) to annually submit a
report to the director of the gaming division, which report describes the
efforts of the licensee in the preceding year to promote responsible
gaming via advertising and other promotional methods and the licensee's
plans concerning such promotional efforts in the current state fiscal year.
Section 3 requires that on December 31, 2023, and on December
31 each year thereafter, any money credited to the wagering revenue
recipients hold-harmless fund and not distributed within 2 years after
being credited to the hold-harmless fund be transferred, as authorized by
the gaming commission, to the cash fund.
Section 4 requires that, for the 2022-23 state fiscal year and each
state fiscal year thereafter, $2.5 million be transferred from the state share
of the limited gaming fund to the cash fund.
Section 5 requires the general assembly, for the 2022-23 state
fiscal year, and for each state fiscal year thereafter, to appropriate
$200,000 from the lottery fund to the state lottery division (division) to
be expended by the division to pay for efforts to promote responsible
gaming in the state.
Section 6 limits the total amount of free bets that may be deducted
on and after January 1, 2023, for the purpose of calculating the net sports
betting proceeds of a sports betting operator or internet sports betting
operator.
Under current law, the Colorado lottery commission is required to
promulgate rules that include the method for selling tickets or shares and
the method to be used for selling instant scratch game tickets. Section 7
removes a requirement that such rules must require all such sales to be on
a cash-only basis.
Section 8 concerns the sunset repeal of the grant program, and
section 9 excludes the cash fund from the statutory limitation on
uncommitted reserves. Section 10 removes existing language concerning
individuals who are required by the gaming commission to be excluded
or ejected from any licensed gaming establishment, which language is
rendered redundant by the bill's new exclusion language. Sections 11 and
12 make conforming amendments.
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