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SB26-117 • 2026

Permissible Methods of Selling Lottery Tickets

The Colorado lottery (lottery) commission adopted rules that removed a prohibition on the use of credit or other noncash bases to buy lottery tickets and instant scratch game tickets. The bill reinsta

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Sen. J. Amabile, Sen. J. Bridges, Rep. J. Mabrey, Rep. M. Soper, Sen. M. Ball, Sen. L. Cutter, Sen. T. Exum, Sen. J. Gonzales, Sen. I. Jodeh, Sen. C. Kipp, Sen. C. Kolker, Sen. W. Lindstedt, Sen. J. Marchman, Sen. M. Weissman, Rep. J. Bacon, Rep. M. Bradfield, Rep. K. Brown, Rep. M. Froelich, Rep. L. García, Rep. L. Goldstein, Rep. M. Martinez, Rep. K. Nguyen, Rep. E. Velasco, Rep. J. Willford, Rep. Y. Zokaie
Last action
2026-03-03
Official status
Senate Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Appropriations
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary provided does not specify what happens if someone tries to buy lottery tickets using credit or non-cash methods.

Rules for Selling Lottery Tickets

This bill reinstates rules that prohibit lottery tickets and instant scratch game tickets from being sold on credit or other noncash methods, including online sales.

What This Bill Does

  • Restores a rule that stops the Colorado lottery commission and licensed retailers from selling lottery tickets using credit or any non-cash method.
  • Requires all lottery ticket sales to be made in cash only, which includes checks, money orders, and debit cards.
  • Prohibits the sale of lottery tickets online, regardless of how payment is made.
  • Requires the Colorado lottery commission to create rules that enforce these new restrictions.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Colorado lottery commission
  • Licensed lottery retailers in Colorado

Terms To Know

Lottery tickets
Tickets sold by the state lottery for a chance to win money or prizes.
Instant scratch game tickets
Lottery tickets that can be played immediately after purchase, without waiting for a draw.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if someone tries to buy lottery tickets using credit or non-cash methods.
  • It is unclear how the new rules will affect existing lottery sales practices and customer behavior.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

L.003

SEN Finance

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment changes the rules about where and how lottery tickets can be sold, adding new limits on internet sales but allowing couriers to deliver tickets for a fee.

  • Adds restrictions on selling lottery tickets through the internet or other electronic devices before July 1, 2017.
  • Allows couriers to deliver lottery tickets and instant scratch game tickets for a fee under certain conditions.
  • The exact details of how courier services will operate are not fully explained in the amendment text.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-03 Senate

    Senate Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Appropriations

  2. 2026-02-19 Senate

    Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance

Official Summary Text

The Colorado lottery (lottery) commission adopted rules that removed a prohibition on the use of credit or other noncash bases to buy lottery tickets and instant scratch game tickets. The bill reinstates the prohibition on the lottery or any licensed lottery retailer from selling lottery tickets or instant scratch game tickets on a credit or other noncash basis and requires the lottery to sell such tickets for cash only, including checks, money orders, and debit cards. The bill also prohibits the online sale of any lottery ticket or instant scratch game ticket, regardless of payment method. The bill requires the lottery commission to adopt rules implementing the bill.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
INTRODUCED

LLS NO. 26-0566.01 Jed Franklin x5484 SENATE BILL 26-117
Senate Committees House Committees
Finance
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING PERMISSIBLE METHODS FOR THE SALE OF LOTTERY101
TICKETS.102
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov.)
The Colorado lottery (lottery) commission adopted rules that
removed a prohibition on the use of credit or other noncash bases to buy
lottery tickets and instant scratch game tickets. The bill reinstates the
prohibition on the lottery or any licensed lottery retailer from selling
lottery tickets or instant scratch game tickets on a credit or other noncash
basis and requires the lottery to sell such tickets for cash only, including
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Bridges and Amabile, Ball, Cutter, Exum, Gonzales J., Jodeh, Kipp, Kolker, Lindstedt,
Marchman, Weissman
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Mabrey and Soper, Bacon, Bradfield, Br own, Froelich, Garcia, Goldstein, Martinez,
Nguyen, Velasco, Willford, Zokaie
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
checks, money orders, and debit cards. The bill also prohibits the online
sale of any lottery ticket or instant scratch game ticket, regardless of
payment method. The bill requires the lottery commission to adopt rules
implementing the bill.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 44-40-107, add (12)2
and (13) as follows:3
44-40-107. Licenses.4
(12) LOTTERY TICKETS OR INSTANT SCRATCH GAME TICKETS THAT5
ARE PRODUCED BY THE LOTTERY FOR SALE TO THE PUBLIC , EITHER6
DIRECTLY OR THROUGH THE LICENSEE, MUST NOT BE SOLD ON A CREDIT OR7
ANY OTHER NONCASH BASIS . SUCH TICKETS MUST BE SOLD ONLY FOR8
CASH, INCLUDING CHECKS, MONEY ORDERS, AND DEBIT CARDS.9
(13) LOTTERY TICKETS OR INSTANT SCRATCH GAME TICKETS THAT10
ARE PRODUCED BY THE LOTTERY FOR SALE TO THE PUBLIC , EITHER11
DIRECTLY OR THROUGH A LICENSEE, MUST NOT BE SOLD ONLINE.12
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 44-40-109, amend13
(2)(i) and (3)(a)(II); and add (2)(j), (2)(k), (3)(a)(IV), and (3)(a)(V) as14
follows:15
44-40-109. Commission - powers and duties - rules.16
(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, rules17
promulgated pursuant to subsection (1) of this section must include:18
(i) The manner in which lottery sales revenues are to be collected; 19
(j) A PROHIBITION ON THE LOTTERY OR A LICENSEE'S SALE OF ANY20
LOTTERY TICKETS PRODUCED BY THE LOTTERY FOR SALE TO THE PUBLIC,21
EITHER DIRECTLY OR THROUGH THE LICENSEE, ON A CREDIT OR ANY OTHER22
NONCASH BASIS AND A REQUIREMENT THAT SUCH TICKETS MUST ONLY BE23
SB26-117-2-
SOLD FOR CASH, INCLUDING CHECKS, MONEY ORDERS, AND DEBIT CARDS;1
AND2
(k) A PROHIBITION ON THE ONLINE SALE OF ANY LOTTERY TICKETS3
PRODUCED BY THE LOTTERY FOR SALE TO THE PUBLIC, EITHER DIRECTLY4
OR THROUGH A LICENSEE.5
(3) (a) The commission shall promulgate rules pursuant to6
subsection (1) of this section for the general administration of all instant7
scratch games. The rules must include:8
(II) The method of paying prizes on winning instant scratch game9
tickets; and10
(IV) A PROHIBITION ON THE SALE OF INSTANT SCRATCH GAME11
TICKETS PRODUCED BY THE LOTTERY FOR SALE TO THE PUBLIC , EITHER12
DIRECTLY OR THROUGH THE LICENSEE , ON A CREDIT OR ANY OTHER13
NONCASH BASIS AND A REQUIREMENT THAT SUCH TICKETS MUST ONLY BE14
SOLD FOR CASH, INCLUDING CHECKS, MONEY ORDERS, AND DEBIT CARDS;15
AND16
(V) A PROHIBITION ON THE ONLINE SALE OF ANY INSTANT SCRATCH17
GAME TICKETS PRODUCED BY THE LO TTERY FOR SALE TO THE PUBLIC ,18
EITHER DIRECTLY OR THROUGH A LICENSEE.19
SECTION 3. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,20
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate21
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for22
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state23
institutions.24
SB26-117-3-