Colorado Senate abandons plan to ban slot-style lottery games
The Colorado Senate passed a bill Thursday that would ban the use of credit cards for lottery purchases, although senators abandoned the idea of trying to limit the range of online lottery games that can be offered in the state.
Senators passed an amended version of Senate Bill 117 on April 23 by a 22-13 vote, sending it to the state House of Representatives, where it has been immediately referred to the Finance Committee.
The bill would reverse the Colorado Lottery Commission’s policy change late last year that began allowing credit cards to be used as a purchase method for lottery tickets and games, a switch that lawmakers felt they were not sufficiently consulted on.
SB 117 sponsor says Colorado can’t ban e-instants
The initial version of SB 117 also sought to prohibit the online sale of any lottery ticket or instant scratch game ticket, regardless of payment method, essentially wiping out the state’s iLottery industry.
An amendment made in the Senate Appropriations Committee scaled down that proposed ban to narrow the focus to banning any online lottery products that “resemble casino gaming”. That would have prohibited the Colorado Lottery from offering online slot-style instant games.
However, even that amendment did not make it into the version of the bill that the Senate passed. A subsequent amendment approved on the Senate floor undid the prior changes.
“This amendment takes this bill back from banning all online lottery sales,” noted one of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Jeff Bridges, on the Senate floor Wednesday. “The bill as it stands right now just says no lottery gambling on credit cards. That’s all the bill says right now.”
Bridges added that upon further examination, he discovered that his bill was unconstitutional because banning e-instant lottery games would violate the Colorado Constitution. Bridges and other lawmakers determined that e-instants would likely fall under the definition of slot machines.
“I have said from the moment I found out about the rules that the Division was considering that they were putting casinos in our pockets,” Bridges told the room. “They were putting slot machines on our phones. Turns out, the Constitution of the State of Colorado agrees that what the Division wants to do is put a slot machine in everyone’s pocket in the state. And the Constitution of Colorado says that cannot be done without a vote of the people to change the Colorado Constitution.”
Lottery, governor favor credit card sales
What remained in the final version passed by the Senate was a ban on selling any lottery tickets, e-instants, or other lottery products via credit.
Last November, the Colorado Lottery Commission adopted a rule change to allow credit card purchases, although the Lottery would not begin allowing those sales until a comprehensive player health program was established.
A spokesperson for the Colorado Lottery Commission told SBC Americas in February that the commission opposes SB 117.
“The Lottery remains confident in its ability to deliver what players have been asking for: the ability to play the Lottery online and more payment choices,” added the spokesperson. “The Commission adopted these rules as part of a critical modernization effort necessary for the Lottery to continue to meet the funding requirements for its beneficiaries.”
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’s office supports the lottery commission’s decision to allow credit card sales, according to local state media, That suggests he might not be keen on signing SB 117 even if it passes.
Senators upset after being ‘ignored’ by Lottery
On the Senate floor Wednesday, Bridges noted that legislators felt ignored by the Lottery Commission.
“Most folks in this chamber signed a letter to the Lottery Commission saying, ‘hey, we don’t think that you should allow credit cards, in iGaming, iLottery, without talking to us, we think it’s probably illegal’,” Bridges said. “They ignored us completely and went ahead and passed those rules just a little bit after our ability to weigh in on whether we thought those rules were legal or not.”
Sen. Judy Amabile also expressed displeasure.
“I’m terrified that if everybody gets a slot machine on their phone, and they have their credit card on there, they’ll just be able to destroy their lives by gambling,” added Amabile. “You only lose over the long haul. Maybe one guy wins but everybody else loses, for the most part.
“So, to expand the number of Colorado citizens who are losers in this game seems like a really, really big mistake, and it will have costs to the state that are over and above the revenue that we bring in.”
Colorado also wants to rein in sports betting
The amended lottery credit card bill passed the Senate just days after senators advanced a wide-ranging bill to establish more player protection measures around online sports betting, including a credit card ban for wagering on sports.
SB 131 is awaiting a full vote on the Senate floor. In its current form, it would:
- Ban push notifications or text messages that prompt users to place bets
- Impose strict limits on sports betting advertising via broadcast channels
- Ban sportsbooks from limiting sharp bettors
- Ban the use of language such as “bonus bet” or “no sweat”
- Limit the number of deposits bettors can make in a 24-hour period
- Bolster data collection related to sports betting activity
However, a proposal to ban all prop bets was removed from the bill in committee as a result of concerns over lost revenue.
The Colorado Senate passed a bill Thursday that would ban the use of credit cards for lottery purchases, although senators abandoned the idea of trying to limit the range of online lottery games that can be offered in the state.
Senators passed an amended version of Senate Bill 117 on April 23 by a 22-13 vote, sending it to the state House of Representatives, where it has been immediately referred to the Finance Committee.
The bill would reverse the Colorado Lottery Commission’s policy change late last year that began allowing credit cards to be used as a purchase method for lottery tickets and games, a switch that lawmakers felt they were not sufficiently consulted on.
SB 117 sponsor says Colorado can’t ban e-instants
The initial version of SB 117 also sought to prohibit the online sale of any lottery ticket or instant scratch game ticket, regardless of payment method, essentially wiping out the state’s iLottery industry.
An amendment made in the Senate Appropriations Committee scaled down that proposed ban to narrow the focus to banning any online lottery products that “resemble casino gaming”. That would have prohibited the Colorado Lottery from offering online slot-style instant games.
However, even that amendment did not make it into the version of the bill that the Senate passed. A subsequent amendment approved on the Senate floor undid the prior changes.
“This amendment takes this bill back from banning all online lottery sales,” noted one of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Jeff Bridges, on the Senate floor Wednesday. “The bill as it stands right now just says no lottery gambling on credit cards. That’s all the bill says right now.”
Bridges added that upon further examination, he discovered that his bill was unconstitutional because banning e-instant lottery games would violate the Colorado Constitution. Bridges and other lawmakers determined that e-instants would likely fall under the definition of slot machines.
“I have said from the moment I found out about the rules that the Division was considering that they were putting casinos in our pockets,” Bridges told the room. “They were putting slot machines on our phones. Turns out, the Constitution of the State of Colorado agrees that what the Division wants to do is put a slot machine in everyone’s pocket in the state. And the Constitution of Colorado says that cannot be done without a vote of the people to change the Colorado Constitution.”
Lottery, governor favor credit card sales
What remained in the final version passed by the Senate was a ban on selling any lottery tickets, e-instants, or other lottery products via credit.
Last November, the Colorado Lottery Commission adopted a rule change to allow credit card purchases, although the Lottery would not begin allowing those sales until a comprehensive player health program was established.
A spokesperson for the Colorado Lottery Commission told SBC Americas in February that the commission opposes SB 117.
“The Lottery remains confident in its ability to deliver what players have been asking for: the ability to play the Lottery online and more payment choices,” added the spokesperson. “The Commission adopted these rules as part of a critical modernization effort necessary for the Lottery to continue to meet the funding requirements for its beneficiaries.”
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’s office supports the lottery commission’s decision to allow credit card sales, according to local state media, That suggests he might not be keen on signing SB 117 even if it passes.
Senators upset after being ‘ignored’ by Lottery
On the Senate floor Wednesday, Bridges noted that legislators felt ignored by the Lottery Commission.
“Most folks in this chamber signed a letter to the Lottery Commission saying, ‘hey, we don’t think that you should allow credit cards, in iGaming, iLottery, without talking to us, we think it’s probably illegal’,” Bridges said. “They ignored us completely and went ahead and passed those rules just a little bit after our ability to weigh in on whether we thought those rules were legal or not.”
Sen. Judy Amabile also expressed displeasure.
“I’m terrified that if everybody gets a slot machine on their phone, and they have their credit card on there, they’ll just be able to destroy their lives by gambling,” added Amabile. “You only lose over the long haul. Maybe one guy wins but everybody else loses, for the most part.
“So, to expand the number of Colorado citizens who are losers in this game seems like a really, really big mistake, and it will have costs to the state that are over and above the revenue that we bring in.”
Colorado also wants to rein in sports betting
The amended lottery credit card bill passed the Senate just days after senators advanced a wide-ranging bill to establish more player protection measures around online sports betting, including a credit card ban for wagering on sports.
SB 131 is awaiting a full vote on the Senate floor. In its current form, it would:
- Ban push notifications or text messages that prompt users to place bets
- Impose strict limits on sports betting advertising via broadcast channels
- Ban sportsbooks from limiting sharp bettors
- Ban the use of language such as “bonus bet” or “no sweat”
- Limit the number of deposits bettors can make in a 24-hour period
- Bolster data collection related to sports betting activity
However, a proposal to ban all prop bets was removed from the bill in committee as a result of concerns over lost revenue.
https://sbcamericas.com/2026/04/24/colorado-senate-lottery-credit-ban/