An amended bill that would apportion $3 million to treat problem gambling has been passed by the Colorado Senate.
Now it moves to the House, where it was previously passed. It will consider the amended bill which has items that weren’t in the original bill.
The bill is not without its critics in the gambling addiction treatment community. They are concerned that the bill was amended to remove funding “annually” and replacing it with “continuously.” The would require that the grant funding be approved every year, rather than guaranteed.
Brianne Doura-Schawohl, who represents the National Council on Problem Gambling, said in a statement: “We’re pleased to see Colorado has decided to address this long-neglected, important public health issue. That being said, we don’t feel that this is an appropriate way to go about it.”
She added, “The intention of this legislation was to create and secure funding to address the needs of gambling addiction in the state. Having an open-ended grant program that needs to receive annual appropriation leaves this in a vulnerable state.”
The House Speaker Alec Garnett, who sponsored the original bill, said the House might decline to pass the bill with the changes. He said, “I’m not completely clear as to why an annual review is a good idea.” He added, “I think, for the most part, the bill that came out of the House was great. It’s a monumental step forward. I will be meeting with the stakeholders to take a closer look at the Senate amendments.”
Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado spokeswoman Peggy Brown, added that the last minute change “reeks of politics, reeks of control, reeks of power. And now the coalition, an all-volunteer organization, is going to have to pitch every year why we need the funding.”
