# Colorado SB26-163: Regulation of Gaming & Sports Betting Colorado SB26-163, Regulation of Gaming & Sports Betting, is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Dylan Roberts (Democratic), Lesley Smith (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-05-29 (Governor Signed); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-SB26-163-2026A - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Colorado SB26-163 - State: Colorado - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Regulation of Gaming & Sports Betting - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-04-15 - Last action: 2026-05-29, Governor Signed - Sponsors: Dylan Roberts (Democratic), Lesley Smith (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 7 - Subjects: Gaming, Lottery, & Racing - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 6 (154 yes, 31 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 8 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Sports bettors can request voluntary exclusion: benefit, low. You can ask Colorado to exclude you from sports betting through its voluntary self-exclusion program. The Division of Gaming must accept requests in writing, electronically, or by phone. Your identifying information is confidential and cannot be released under the Colorado Open Records Act. - Gaming investigators gain stronger enforcement powers: benefit, low. Gaming investigators and supervisors can inspect, examine, investigate, hold, or impound premises anywhere in Colorado when they suspect unlicensed gambling. This authority covers both unlicensed gaming and sports betting. The Division of Gaming director's designee has peace-officer status while ca… - Inactive tracks gain a reopening path: benefit, low. A Class A track with no race meet in the past three years can operate as a simulcast facility. The commission must approve both its simulcasting application and race dates for a meet within the following 12 months. Both applications must provide for a purse fund that follows state racing law and co… - Some track workers lose employee status: cost, medium. People serving more than one employer at a race meet or horse track are excluded from the state's workers’ compensation definition of employee. This narrows access to protections tied to employee status under those laws. The exclusion does not apply broadly to all state employment laws. - Racing workers face job-specific license requirements: cost, low. Listed leadership and specialist jobs at licensed racing businesses require key occupational licenses, including managers, veterinarians, racing officials, and betting-system operators. Listed short-term jobs require registration licenses lasting no more than 90 days, including announcers, concessi… - Broader licensing rules for racing businesses: cost, low. People and businesses operating or supporting commercial racing in Colorado must obtain a business license. The law creates major and minor business-license categories. Applicants include people applying or renewing, plus business owners, officers, directors, and managers applying for business lice… - Gaming operators face broader rules and approvals: cost, low. Gaming licensees need commission approval before offering poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, similar games, or variations. Commission rules can allow field trials of new games or technology without that prior approval. The law also includes specified gaming, retail gaming, and online and other spor… - Track oversight covers time around racing: cost, low. A race meet covers the continuous period of full oversight by the Division of Racing Events, not just live racing. The premeet period starts when track premises first become available or are used for covered horse activities or inspections. The post-meet period lasts seven calendar days, counting t… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Dylan Roberts (Democratic), Senate - Sponsor: Lesley Smith (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Brianna Titone (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Emily Sirota (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Monica Duran (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Cathy Kipp (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: James Coleman (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Janice Marchman (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Marc Snyder (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-05-08 | Senate | House amendments: Repass | pass | 29 | 5 | | | 2026-05-08 | Senate | House amendments: Concur | pass | 34 | 0 | | | 2026-05-06 | House | Third reading: Bill | pass | 45 | 19 | | | 2026-05-04 | House | Refer Senate Bill 26-163, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. | pass | 8 | 3 | | | 2026-04-27 | Senate | Third reading: Bill | pass | 30 | 4 | | | 2026-04-21 | Senate | Refer Senate Bill 26-163, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. | pass | 8 | 0 | | ## Actions (13) - 2026-05-29: Governor Signed (House) - 2026-05-20: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate) - 2026-05-20: Signed by the Speaker of the House (House) - 2026-05-20: Sent to the Governor (House) - 2026-05-08: Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass (Senate) - 2026-05-06: House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments (House) - 2026-05-05: House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee (House) - 2026-05-04: House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole (House) - 2026-04-27: Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments (Senate) - 2026-04-27: Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance (House) - 2026-04-24: Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee (Senate) - 2026-04-21: Senate Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole (Senate) - 2026-04-15: Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Finance (Senate) ## Bill text - Engrossed: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115207/download) - Final Act: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/116555/download) - House Finance Preamend: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115784/download) - Introduced: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/114691/download) - Reengrossed: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115276/download) - Rerevised: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115983/download) - Revised: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115830/download) - Senate Finance Preamend: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115092/download) - Signed Act: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/116826/download) ## Related bills - HB26-1250: Procedures Related to Civil Asset Forfeiture (signed) - HB26-1298: Background Checks for Child Welfare Placements (signed) - HB26-1414: Medical Record Requests (signed) - SB26-155: Increase Access Homeowner's Insurance Enterprise (signed) - HB26-1429: County Administration Public Assistance Programs (signed) - HB26-1430: Transportation Funding Adjustments (signed) ## Sources - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115207/download) - [Final Act (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/116555/download) - [House Finance Preamend (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115784/download) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/114691/download) - [Reengrossed (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115276/download) - [Rerevised (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115983/download) - [Revised (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115830/download) - [Senate Finance Preamend (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115092/download) - [Signed Act (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/116826/download) ## Related - [HB26-1250: Procedures Related to Civil Asset Forfeiture](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1250-2026A) - [HB26-1298: Background Checks for Child Welfare Placements](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1298-2026A) - [HB26-1414: Medical Record Requests](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1414-2026A) - [SB26-155: Increase Access Homeowner's Insurance Enterprise](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-SB26-155-2026A) - [HB26-1429: County Administration Public Assistance Programs](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1429-2026A) - [HB26-1430: Transportation Funding Adjustments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1430-2026A) - [Colorado bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/colorado/bills) - [Colorado state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/colorado) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-SB26-163-2026A (as of 2026-10-16).