Bipartisan Legislation to Prevent Harms Caused by Addictive Sports Betting Practices Clears Senate
SB26-131 would address problems arising from the online sports betting industry through commonsense guardrails around impulsive online betting
DENVER, CO – Bipartisan legislation to prevent harms caused by addictive sports betting practices was approved by the Senate today.
SB26-131, sponsored by Senator Matt Ball, D-Denver, would address problems arising from the growing online sports betting industry by implementing guardrails around impulsive online betting.
“Pernicious algorithms and advertisements are increasingly preying on vulnerable online sports bettors,” said Ball. “Since Colorado’s legalization of online sports betting in 2019, technology has rapidly transformed the industry, catching more and more people in the cycle of devastating gambling addiction. As online sports betting continues its rise in popularity, we must ensure there are reasonable protections in place to help prevent addiction, protect underage Coloradans, and uphold the integrity of the game and its athletes.”
The bill, cosponsored by Senator Byron Pelton, R-Sterling, aims to curb addictive sports betting habits by implementing a limit of six deposits per customer within a continuous 24-hour period and restricting the use of credit cards for sports betting accounts.
To help prevent marketing to minors, the bill would prohibit a sports betting operation or their marketing affiliates from targeting Coloradans who are under twenty one years old or advertising when a majority of the demographic audience is reasonably expected to be under twenty one years old.
To better assess the impact of online sports betting across Colorado, the bill would require sports betting operators to annually report transactional data and metrics to the Gaming Division within the Department of Revenue, beginning February 1, 2028. A public report on the data would be published by the Gaming Division every three years, beginning January 1, 2029.
In 2019, voters approved Proposition DD to legalize sports betting in Colorado. In 2025, more than $6.3 billion was wagered in online sports bets in the state, a 130 percent increase from 2020. The growth has been especially pronounced among young men, with 36 percent of boys aged 11 to 17 reporting that they have gambled in the past year.
SB26-131 now moves to the House for further consideration. Track its progress here.