Colorado lawmakers are challenging newly approved rules that let you buy lottery products online or with a credit card.The Colorado Lottery Commission approved online lottery sales and credit card purchases in November, despite pushback from both sides of the aisle. Legislators are now responding with Senate Bill 117, which would ban online sales and return lottery purchases to cash only.State Sen. Jeff Bridges, D-District 26, is one of the bill's prime sponsors and was also among 25 lawmakers who signed a letter urging the commission not to make the change.Bridges said the commission's decision to move forward anyway is what prompted the legislation.According to the Colorado Lottery, the commissioners approved the rule changes in an effort to modernize the state's lottery system. Colorado Lottery Director Tom Seaver defended the commissions decision when Denver7 spoke with him in November.We are very, very confident that we followed the appropriate steps," Seaver said. "The commission had the right to make the rule changes that they did."The lottery commission has "the authority to promulgate rules and amend existing rules related to the sale of Lottery products and the operation of the Lottery pursuant to C.R.S. 44-40-109," according to the Colorado Lottery website.The commission said the changes would not take effect for several months as they work to establish tools to promote responsible gaming.Legislators have argued that a change of this magnitude should require legislative review or even a statewide vote."Of all the times, especially given the affordability crisis we have, this is not when we should be making it easier for folks to lose money to the state through online gambling," Bridges said.If the bill passes, lottery tickets would once again be available only at physical retail locations, such as grocery stores.For Denver resident Mario Ortiz, that wouldn't be much of a change."I buy my scratch tickets straight from the store and pay cash all the time," Ortiz said.The bill is set for its next hearing on March 3."If they want to come back and have a further conversation, we look forward to it, but it's not something that is good for the people of Colorado. It's not something that I think the legislature will let stand," Bridges said. Colorado bill aims to reverse lottery commission's approval of online sales and credit card use ...read more read less