6-1-102(9)

"Pyramid promotional scheme" means any program utilizing a pyramid or chain process by which a participant in the program gives a valuable consideration in excess of fifty dollars for the opportunity or right to receive compensation or other things of value in return for inducing other persons to become participants for the purpose of gaining new participants in the program. Ordinary sales of goods or services to persons who are not purchasing in order to participate in such a scheme are not within this definition.

History: L. 69:P. 371, § 1.C.R.S. 1963:§ 55-5-1. L. 73:P. 619, § 1. L. 84:(4.5) and (11.5) added, pp. 289, 290, §§ 1, 1, effective July 1. L. 85:(4.6) to (4.8) added, p. 306, § 1, effective June 1. L. 87:(2.5) added and (9), (10), and (11.5) amended, p. 356, § 1, effective July 1. L. 88:(4.2) and (4.3) added, p. 341, § 1, effective July 1. L. 90:(2.7) and (11.2) added, p. 380, § 1, effective July 1. L. 92:(5.5) and (14) added, p. 1835, § 1, effective April 29. L. 93:(11.2) repealed, p. 943, § 1, effective July 1. L. 94:(4.6)(d) amended, p. 2721, § 310, effective July 1. L. 98:(4.9) and (13.5) added, p. 746, § 1, effective August 5. L. 2000:(2.7) amended, p. 244, § 1, effective March 30; (4.4) added, p. 1107, § 1, effective August 2. L. 2003:(4.6)(d) amended, p. 699, § 3, effective July 1. L. 2004:(4.1) added and (4.2) and (4.3) amended, p. 967, § 7, effective May 21. L. 2013:(4.3) amended(HB 13-1266), ch. 217, p. 984, § 37, effective May 13; (9.5), (11.7), (11.8), and (11.9) added,(SB 13-182), ch. 166, p. 539, § 1, effective August 7. L. 2017:IP and (5.5) amended,(SB 17-240), ch. 395, p. 2063, § 43, effective July 1. L. 2018:(5.5) amended,(SB 18-030), ch. 7, p. 138, § 5, effective October 1. L. 2019:(11.5) and (11.7)(b)(III) amended,(HB 19-1172), ch. 136, p. 1643, § 7, effective October 1. L. 2020:(2.5) amended,(HB 20-1031), ch. 43, p. 144, § 4, effective September 14. L. 2022:(2.5) amended,(SB 22-139), ch. 149, p. 958, § 3, effective May 2; (4.9) amended,(SB 22-212), ch. 421, p. 2965, § 12, effective August 10. L. 2024:(10) amended,(HB 24-1356), ch. 346, p. 2349, § 1, effective June 3.

 6-1-105(1)(q) Deceptive trade practices.
 
 (1) A person engages in a deceptive trade practice when, in the course of such person's business, vocation, or occupation, such person:
 
    (q) Contrives, prepares, sets up, operates, publicizes by means of advertisements, or promotes any pyramid promotional scheme;

History: L. 69:P. 372, § 2.C.R.S. 1963:§ 55-5-2. L. 71:P. 580, § 1. L. 73:P. 619, § 2. L. 75:(1)(r) added, p. 259, § 1, effective July 1. L. 84:(1)(e) and (1)(g) amended and (1)(s) added, pp. 289, 290, §§ 2, 2, effective July 1. L. 85:(1)(t) added, p. 307, § 2, effective June 1. L. 87:(1)(a), (1)(b), (1)(e), (1)(g) to (1)(i), and (1)(l) amended and (1)(s)(V) and (1)(u) added, p. 357, §§ 3, 4, effective July 1. L. 88:(1)(n) amended and (1)(v) and (1)(w) added, pp. 341, 1260, §§ 2, 2, effective July 1. L. 89:(1)(s)(V) repealed and (1)(y), (1)(z), and (1)(aa) added, pp. 360, 357, §§ 4, 1, effective July 7; (1)(x) added, p. 363, § 2, effective January 1, 1990. L. 90:(1)(ee) added, p. 378, § 2, effective April 20; (1)(t)(VI) amended and (1)(bb) to (1)(dd) added, p. 380, § 2, effective July 1. L. 91:(1)(t)(VI) amended and (1)(t)(VII) added, p. 329, § 1, effective May 16; (1)(dd)(I) amended and (1)(dd)(I.5) added, p. 331, § 1, effective June 8. L. 92:IP(1) amended and (1)(ff) added, p. 1835, § 2, effective April 29; IP(1) amended and (1)(gg) added, p. 247, § 2, effective June 1. L. 93:(1)(t)(VI) and (1)(y) amended and (1)(hh) to (1)(ll) added, p. 1571, § 1, effective July 1; (1)(cc) amended, p. 943, § 2, effective July 1; (1)(mm) added, p. 1022, § 3, effective July 1. L. 94:(1)(nn) added, p. 759, § 1, effective April 20; (1)(ee.5) added, p. 94, § 1, effective July 1; (1)(oo) added, p. 1311, § 10, effective July 1; (1)(aa) and (1)(ii) amended, p. 2544, § 14, effective January 1, 1995. L. 96:(1)(p) amended and (1)(p.3) and (1)(ee.7) added, pp. 787, 1787, §§ 1, 1, effective July 1. L. 97:(1)(pp) added, p. 865, § 13, effective May 21; (1)(p.5) and (1)(p.7) added, p. 500, § 1, effective July 1; (1)(ee.8) added, p. 406, § 1, July 1. L. 98:(1)(qq) added, p. 746, § 2, effective August 5. L. 99:(1)(p.3), (1)(p.5), (1)(p.7), (1)(s), (1)(t), (1)(w), (1)(bb), (1)(dd), (1)(ee.5), (1)(ee.7), (1)(ee.8), (1)(ff), (1)(ii), and (1)(qq) repealed and (1)(x) amended, pp. 655, 652, §§ 14, 3, effective May 18; (1)(qq) amended, p. 897, § 2, effective October 1. L. 2000:(1)(rr) added, p. 867, § 2, effective August 2; (1)(nn)(II) added by revision, pp. 2, 3, §§ 1, 6; (1)(ss) added, p. 1162, § 3, effective July 1, 2001. L. 2001:(1)(gg) amended, p. 1445, § 37, effective July 1; (1)(tt) added, p. 1461, § 2, effective August 8. L. 2002:(1)(uu) added, p. 1602, § 3, effective June 7. L. 2003:(1)(ss) amended, p. 550, § 3, effective March 5. L. 2004:(1)(vv) added, p. 181, § 2, effective July 1; (1)(ww) added, p. 407, § 2, effective August 4. L. 2006:(1)(xx) added, p. 1344, § 2, effective May 30. L. 2007:(1)(zz) added, p. 1728, § 5, effective June 1; (1)(aaa) and (1)(bbb) added, p. 1723, § 10, effective June 1; (1)(yy) added, p. 809, § 1, effective July 1. L. 2010:(1)(ccc) added,(SB 10-155), ch. 180, p. 648, § 2, effective August 11. L. 2013:(1)(eee) added,(SB 13-228), ch. 271, p. 1425, § 2, effective May 24; (IP)(1) amended and (1)(ddd) added,(SB 13-215), ch. 399, p. 2335, § 2, effective June 5. L. 2014:(1)(fff) and (1)(ggg) added,(HB 14-1037), ch. 358, p. 1681, § 2, effective August 6. L. 2015:(1)(hhh) added,(SB 15-014), ch. 199, p. 688, § 7, effective May 18; (1)(yy) repealed,(SB 15-264), ch. 259, p. 941, § 7, effective August 5. L. 2016:(1)(jjj) added,(HB 16-1335), ch. 246, p. 1015, § 2, effective July 1; (1)(bbb) amended,(HB 16-1306), ch. 117, p. 331, § 1, effective August 10; (1)(iii) added,(HB 16-1090), ch. 97, p. 276, § 2, effective August 10. L. 2017:(1)(vv) amended,(SB 17-132), ch. 207, p. 808, § 4, effective July 1, 2018. L. 2018:(1)(x) amended,(SB 18-100), ch. 36, p. 392, § 1, effective August 8; (1)(hhh) amended,(HB 18-1023), ch. 55, p. 584, § 4, effective October 1. L. 2019:(1)(a), (1)(b), (1)(c), (1)(e), (1)(o), (1)(ll), (1)(hhh), and (1)(iii) amended and (1)(kkk) and (4) added,(HB 19-1289), ch. 268, p. 2515, § 2, effective May 23; (1)(lll) added,(SB 19-002), ch. 157, p. 1872, § 3, effective August 2; (1)(aaa) and (1)(bbb) amended,(HB 19-1172), ch. 136, p. 1643, § 8, effective October 1; (1)(hhh) amended,(SB 19-224), ch. 315, p. 2935, § 8, effective January 1, 2020; (1)(mmm) added,(HB 19-1174), ch. 171, p. 1982, § 1, effective January 1, 2020; (1)(iii)(II) amended,(SB 19-088), ch. 110, p. 462, § 2, effective July 1, 2020. L. 2021:(1)(nnn) added,(SB 21-190), ch. 483, p. 3465, § 3, effective July 1, 2023. L. 2022:(1)(sss) added,(SB 22-205), ch. 278, p. 2002, § 3, effective May 31; (1)(ss) amended,(HB 22-1242), ch. 172, p. 1135, § 25, effective August 10; (1)(mmm) amended,(HB 22-1284), ch. 446, p. 3151, § 6, effective August 10; (1)(ttt) added,(HB 22-1314), ch. 416, p. 2948, § 12, effective August 10; (1)(kkk) repealed and (1)(rrr) added,(HB 22-1287), ch. 255, p. 1885, § 27, effective October 1; (1)(ooo) added,(HB 22-1099), ch. 21, p. 143, § 2, effective January 1, 2023; (1)(qqq) added,(HB 22-1031), ch. 327, p. 2307, § 1, effective January 1, 2023; (1)(ppp) added,(SB 22-034), ch. 326, p. 2306, § 2, effective February 1, 2023. L. 2023:(1)(xxx) and (1)(yyy) added,(SB 23-093), ch. 152, p. 646, § 6, effective May 4; (1)(aaaa) added,(HB 23-1215), ch. 277, p. 1636, § 3, effective May 30; (1)(cccc) added,(SB 23-176), ch. 275, p. 1627, § 4, effective May 30; (1)(dddd) added,(HB 23-1257), ch. 376, p. 2256, § 2, effective June 5; (1)(uuu) added,(SB 23-077), ch. 50, p. 180, § 2, effective August 7; (1)(vvv) added,(SB 23-037), ch. 61, p. 218, § 1, effective August 7; (1)(www) added,(SB 23-150), ch. 63, p. 227, § 2, effective August 7; (1)(zzz) added,(HB 23-1002), ch.447, p. 2635, § 4, effective August 7; (1)(bbbb) added,(SB 23-252), ch. 305, p. 1864, § 1, effective August 7. L. 2024:(1)(hhhh) added,(SB 24-205), ch. 198, p. 1216, § 2, effective May 17; (1)(cccc) and (4) amended,(HB 24-1356), ch. 346, p. 2349, § 2, effective June 3; (1)(ffff) added,(HB 24-1438), ch. 351, p. 2394, § 1, effective June 3; (1)(cccc) amended and (1)(gggg) added,(SB 24-011), ch. 402, p. 2767, § 3, effective August 7; (1)(eeee) added,(HB 24-1051), ch. 292, p. 1990, § 7, effective August 7.