Gaming regulators in the State of Colorado are launching a new Self-Exclusion program aimed at protecting problem gamblers from their own, worst impulses. The new program was launched as part of September’s Responsible Gaming Education Month, which is run by Colorado Division of Gaming (DOG, part of the Colorado Department of Revenue).
Self-exclusion is a term that’s expanded and flexed over the past few decades to include a number of different scenarios for problem gamblers. Most importantly, today’s player has a number of options for self-exclusion that are pretty flexible overall. For example, Colorado players who just need to take a step back from gambling can set their self-exclusion period for one, three or five years. (Any exclusion period less than a year, it seems, would not be effective.)
In a recently released statement, officials form the Colorado DOG gave a high level version of the plan saying, “A person may voluntarily apply to be self-excluded from gaming in Colorado. Individual self-exclusion means that an individual has made a conscious voluntary effort to exclude themselves from all forms of gaming under the regulatory purview of the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission and the Colorado Division of Gaming, including gambling at casinos and placing sports wagers at on-site and online sportsbooks.”
Christopher Schroder, Director of the Colorado Division of Gaming is enthusiastic about the program saying, “The Division of Gaming is committed to promoting responsible gaming in the Colorado gaming industry, and the launch of the state’s Self-Exclusion program is an exciting advancement for our state. We appreciate all of the work that the PGCC has done to get the Self-Exclusion program to this point. They are an excellent partner in this important work.”
Colorado’s new self-exclusion plan goes into effect immediately and players can sign up online or in-person at the Colorado Department of Revenue.