(1) The general assembly hereby finds, determines, and declares it to be the public policy of this state that: (a) The success of limited gaming is dependent upon public confidence and trust that licensed limited gaming is conducted honestly and competitively; that the rights of the creditors of licensees are protected; and that gaming is free from criminal and corruptive elements; (b) Public confidence and trust can be maintained only by strict regulation of all persons, locations, practices, associations, and activities related to the operation of licensed gaming establishments and the manufacture or distribution of gaming devices and equipment; (c) All establishments where limited gaming is conducted and where gambling devices are operated and all manufacturers, sellers, and distributors of certain gambling devices and equipment must therefore be licensed, controlled, and assisted to protect the public health, safety, good order, and the general welfare of the inhabitants of the state to foster the stability and success of limited gaming and to preserve the economy and policies of free competition of the state of Colorado; (d) No applicant for a license or other affirmative commission approval has any right to a license or to the granting of the approval sought. Any license issued or other commission approval granted pursuant to the provisions of this article 30 is a revocable privilege, and no holder acquires any vested right therein or thereunder. (2) It is the intent of the general assembly that, to achieve the goals set forth in subsection (1) of this section, the commission should place great weight upon the policies expressed in said subsection (1) in construing the provisions of this article 30. (3) The general assembly further finds, determines, and declares that: (a) When, in 2018, the United States supreme court held in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, 138 S. Ct. 1461, that there existed no current federal impediment to an individual state's authority to legalize sports betting, but that such an effort was subject only to that state's own constitutional limits on that authority, Colorado had the option to expand the responsibilities of the limited gaming control commission created in this article 30 to include sports betting; (b) Expansion of the commission's role in this way is appropriate, given the commission's experience in regulating limited gaming since 1991 and its track record of competent, evenhanded, and efficient discharge of the duties entrusted to it by Colorado's voters under section 9 of article XVIII of the state constitution; (c) The general assembly intends, through passage of House Bill 19-1327, enacted in 2019, to incorporate sports betting seamlessly into the regulatory and taxing system established for limited gaming under this article 30 in a manner that honors the voters' intent in adopting section 9 of article XVIII of the state constitution and has done so through enactment of a referred measure requiring statewide approval; (d) It is appropriate, and the general assembly intends, that after the incorporation of sports betting into this article 30 on May 1, 2020, no further expansion of sports betting nor authorization of any new or expanded class of licensees be made except with the approval of Colorado voters through legislation or constitutional amendments that are submitted to a statewide vote; and (e) The success of sports betting is dependent upon public confidence and trust that activities related to sports betting are conducted honestly and competitively; that the rights of the creditors of licensees are protected; and that sports betting is free from criminal and corruptive elements. Public confidence and trust can be maintained only by strict regulation of sports betting.
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