HB 22-1412

House Bill 22-1412 in Colorado extends the life of the state's gaming regulatory body, known as the Division of Gaming, until 2033. It also allows this division to handle more responsibilities and lowers the minimum age for casino workers from 21 to 18. The bill makes changes to how sports betting is regulated, including reducing oversight requirements for international internet sports betting personnel and adding new penalties for unlicensed gaming operations. Since it has been signed into law, these changes are now in effect or will be implemented as specified by the bill's provisions.

Official Summary

The act implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies in its sunset review and report on the division of gaming (division) in the department of revenue. Specifically, the act: Continues the division for 11 years, until 2033; Allows the Colorado limited gaming control commission (commission) to delegate licensing duties to the division; Lowers the minimum age for a casino employee from 21 years of age to 18 years of age; Designates the department of revenue's hearings division to conduct hearings under the "Fantasy Contests Act"; Repeals the requirement that internationally based internet sports betting personnel submit to a fingerprint-based criminal history record check; and Subjects payments of sports bet winnings to the "Gambling Payment Intercept Act" on and after July 1, 2023. The act also empowers the commission to determine whether persons that are not licensed by the commission to conduct sports betting or limited gaming operations are offering to one or more members of the public, in any city, town, city and county, or county: Unlicensed sports betting operations; Unlicensed internet sports betting operations; or Unlicensed establishments that allow the use of equipment or devices that qualify as slot machines or are used to play roulette or craps. The act also prohibits a person from offering sports betting or one or more games, authorized as "limited gaming", to the public without possessing the required license from the commission to conduct: Sports betting operations; Internet sports betting operations; or Operations using equipment or devices that qualify as slot machines or are used to play roulette or craps. The act also adjusts the elements of the existing offense of underage gaming and resets the penalties for the offense as follows: For a first offense, a civil penalty of $500; For a second offense, a civil penalty of $1,000; and For a third or subsequent offense, a class 2 misdemeanor.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Votes