Late Amendment Made to Problem Gambling Bill in Colorado

By Jerry Smith Staff Writer Updated: 05/25/2022

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Late Amendment Made to Problem Gambling Bill

A late amendment has been made to a problem gambling bill in Colorado, and this has created controversy among many who support programs to tackle this issue. The amendments were made in the Senate to House Bill 22-1402, which is a recent measure that was introduced in a bid to tackle the rising problem of gambling addiction in the state.

As part of the program, around $3 million in funding is to be set aside to tackle the issue of problem gambling. This is an issue that has become a big concern not just in Colorado but also in other states around the country.

However, the amendment means that funding for the scheme in Colorado will have to be approved every year, which has caused controversy.

Reapproval Could Be an Issue

The amendment states that approval of funding for the scheme must be obtained annually, but those that support these types of programs have said that this could prove to be a big problem.

One of the issues, according to advocates of the scheme, is that funding for problem gambling often takes a back seat compared to other issues, and they also claim that it is the first to be cut where there are other issues that need to be addressed.

They are pushing for the funding to be automatically allocated each year, rather than subject to a review.

Previously, State Rep. Alec Garnett, who is behind the bill, said:

This is the foundation that the legislature needs in order to get the resources in place to make sure that we can tackle any of the issues that will come up in the future around problem gaming.

He added that the bill provided a flexible way for the state to tackle the issue and to adjust as necessary in line with changing trends. However, this was prior to the most recent amendment, which could make it difficult for the program to continue over the longer term because of the approval needed.

Garnett also previously said that the issue with problem gambling had never taken priority in Colorado, and that this legislation could help to change this.

Fueled by Online Gaming

The problem with gambling addiction in Colorado and other states has been fueled by the availability of online gambling, according to some. Many people these days go online via their computers and mobile devices to gamble at online casinos, and this has made access far easier and more convenient.

Since the onset of the global pandemic, more and more people have started to turn to online casinos. This gives them access to gambling facilities at any time of the day or night, and with many being confined to their homes during the pandemic, a lot more time was spent on online casino sites.

As a result, many have been calling for support measures and funding to be put into place in a bid to try and tackle the issues with problem gambling. However, the new addition to this bill could mean that the support scheme experiences issues in the future.