Committee votes to restore ban on buying lottery tickets with credit

The House Finance Committee voted to send Senate Bill 117 to the Committee on Appropriations with a favorable recommendation after testimony that the bill would reinstate a prohibition on buying lottery tickets with credit cards.

Sponsors and proponents said the measure restores the prior statutory ban on credit purchases of lottery tickets and scratch tickets while preserving common payment methods such as cash, debit and check. "What this bill stops is people using credit cards and potentially money they do not have to purchase lottery tickets," a sponsor said in support, asking members for a yes vote.

Student witness James Wherry, who identified himself as a student at the University of Colorado Boulder, urged amendments to address the public‑health impacts of gambling. "Gambling can lead to increased incidence of mental illness and suicide," Wherry testified, and he urged the committee to dedicate a larger share of lottery revenue to prevention and treatment rather than advertising.

Representative Soper moved the bill with a favorable recommendation and Representative Hartzook seconded. The chair recorded the final tally as 9 yes and 2 no, and the bill was routed to Appropriations.

The committee closed the testimony and amendment phases without adopting sponsor amendments. The next procedural step is consideration by the Appropriations Committee.