Colorado Proposes Involuntary Exclusion for Bettors Who Threaten Athletes

The Colorado Division of Gaming held a rulemaking workshop on Thursday 12 November 2026 on a proposal that would widen involuntary exclusion to bar bettors who threaten athletes from wagering at the state's licensed venues and sportsbooks.

The measure is a proposed amendment, not an adopted rule. According to InGame, which reproduced the Division's draft, the amendments fall under Rule 29, Section 30-2907. No operator representatives spoke at the workshop, and a public comment period remains open. The Division will take the proposal to the agenda of the Limited Gaming Control Commission, the body that decides exclusion cases, for approval.

What the draft would change

The draft adds new grounds on which the Commission could place a person on the involuntary exclusion list. Per InGame's reproduction, the Commission could act against anyone who:

C.R.S. stands for Colorado Revised Statutes.

A second change targets integrity. The draft adds "including but not limited to" language to the existing reputation factor, so that it explicitly reaches someone who has manipulated or compromised the integrity of gaming or sports betting activities.

How involuntary exclusion works

Involuntary exclusion is a formal proceeding under Article 30 of Title 44 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. The Division of Gaming, part of the Colorado Department of Revenue, files a petition with the Commission, which decides at a public meeting. According to the Division's own page, an excluded person is barred from wagering at any Colorado regulated licensee. If found gambling, that person is ejected and cannot recover winnings, although money not yet wagered is returned.

The tool applies to licensed gaming and betting establishments. The draft as reported widens who can be added to the list, rather than creating a separate offense.

Reporting tool aimed at athletes

The Division has also launched an online harassment reporting tool. Division investigator Chris Krieger presented it at the workshop. It sits under the "sports betting" tab of the Division's website, and Krieger said the goal is to increase reporting from athletes. Exclusion petitions depend on evidence reaching the Division, so reporting volume will shape how often the new grounds are used.

Part of a wider push

Colorado is following a trend among U.S. regulators and sports bodies. InGame reports that Louisiana, Ohio and West Virginia already have measures in place. Gamingo has covered how Louisiana targeted gambling-fueled abuse with a new betting law earlier this year.

Industry action is running alongside regulation. The NCAA joined the Bad Actor program last month, according to InGame. The program is a collaboration between Signify Group, IC360 and Fanatics Sportsbook that launched in June. In September, a coalition of professional leagues and players' associations wrote to state regulators asking for stricter standards.

Colorado's regulated market is large enough for the rule to matter. InGame counts 12 online sportsbooks plus retail books in Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek. Operators in that market have already absorbed one round of tightened conduct rules this year; Gamingo reported on Colorado's new betting rules on credit cards and aggressive ads in May.

What operators should watch

The open items are the Commission's agenda date, the final wording and the comment deadline. Licensees would be the ones enforcing any exclusions at the point of wagering, so changes to the criteria affect their compliance procedures. Operators with a view on how the new grounds are defined, particularly the "including but not limited to" integrity language, can respond during the comment period.

For the wider state picture, including how Colorado has handled sports betting tax and promotions, see Gamingo's earlier report on the delay to the promotional tax ban.

Status reviewed on 13 November 2026. Proposal details come from InGame's account of the Division's draft, and the exclusion process description comes from the Division's website. More regulation news and North America coverage.