Bingo-Raffle Licensing Sunset Review

Sunset Process - House State, Civic, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee. The bill implements the certain recommendations of the sunset review and report on the licensing of bingo and other games of chance by:

• Retaining the secretary of state's constitutional authority over the issuance of bingo-raffle licenses to qualified charitable organizations, while transferring all remaining licensing authority and all enforcement authority under the "Bingo and Raffles Law" to the executive director of the department of revenue (executive director), effective January 1, 2025 ( sections 2, 5, 7 through 17, 20 through 30, 34, 36, and 37 ); authorizing the executive director to promulgate rules and assess fees in connection with the executive director's duties ( sections 5, 7 through 17, and 20 through 30 ); requiring the executive director to uphold the secretary of state's decision to issue a bingo-raffle license; requiring the secretary of state to uphold the executive director's licensing and enforcement decisions ( section 5 ); and requiring the secretary of state and the executive director to enter into memoranda of understanding regarding their shared duties under the "Bingo and Raffles Law" ( section 5 );
• Terminating the Colorado bingo-raffle advisory board pursuant to the sunset law ( sections 1, 4, 6, 18, 31 through 33, and 35 );
• Modernizing the secretary of state's (secretary's) fining authority by increasing the maximum fine to $250 per violation and eliminating the provision for a fine in lieu of suspension or revocation , for the period of time between the effective date of the bill and the transfer of all enforcement authority to the executive director, effective January 1, 2025 ( section 4 3 );
• Continuing the regulation of charitable gaming under the "Bingo and Raffles Law" for 5 years, until 2029 ( sections 33 through 36 11 and 12 of the bill ); and
• Making technical changes to the law ( sections 2, 3, 8, 10, 12 through 16, 19, and 28 and 4 through 7 ).

Sections 9, and 10 modify the structure, powers, and duties of the Colorado bingo-raffle advisory board, recreated in the bill as the Colorado charitable gaming board. Among other changes, the board's membership is reduced from 9 to 7 members and one member must be the secretary's designee. The secretary's designee must convene the board's first meeting not later than 60 days after a majority of the 7 members are appointed. All members who are licensees under the "Bingo and Raffles Law" are appointed by the governor. In addition to the secretary's designee, the secretary must appoint the member who is a registered elector with no connection to charitable gaming.

The board must meet 6 times each year at a minimum and must fulfill the following duties:

• Conduct a continuous study of charitable gaming in Colorado to improve such gaming and ascertain any defects in existing laws or rules;
• Advise the secretary regarding subjects such as licensing requirements, qualifications, and special conditions; license revocations, suspensions, and summary suspensions; a schedule of fines and the amounts of fees to be imposed pursuant to the "Bingo and Raffles Law"; criteria and training for licensees, games managers, and other individuals involved in the conduct of charitable gaming; and standard licensee audit procedures; and
• At the board's discretion, submit an annual report to the general assembly including recommendations for legislation related to charitable gaming.

The secretary is encouraged to collaborate with the board on proposals developed by the board related to, among other things:

• Existing types of charitable gaming activities and the rules related thereto;
• Potential future types of charitable gaming activities, an annual review of at least 10% of all existing charitable gaming rules; and
• A complete review of all such rules every 5 years.

The bill also clarifies, in sections 1, 7, and 8 , the requirements and limitations for a strip bingo game.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)