Lawmakers and advocates hold a press conference in support of Senate Bill 131 to advocate for common-sense guardrails on sports gambling

Denver, CO – Today the Senate Finance Committee passed the Sports Betting Protection Act, a bill that would honor voters’ choice to legalize sports betting while strengthening protections against underage gambling and promoting responsible access. Senate Bill 131 was passed by a vote of 5-4, and is sponsored by Senators Matt Ball (D-Denver) and Byron Pelton (R-Sterling), and Representative Dan Woog (R-Erie) and Steven Woodrow (D-Denver). 

“Online sports betting was relatively new when it was passed by Colorado voters, and it’s clear that it has had some unintended consequences, especially on young men and boys,” said Senator Matt Ball (D-Denver). “Technology has changed how rapidly someone can place bets, how often, and expanded the ability to bet on everything. It’s time we take reasonable steps to ensure gambling is done responsibly, by adults, and curb the ability for teens to become addicted to these apps at such a young age.”

“A lot has changed since Colorado legalized sports betting, and we know we need to make changes,” said Senator Byron Pelton (R-Sterling). “We will maintain the industry that the voters passed, and importantly, we will still have the revenue it’s bringing in to support critical water projects across Colorado. But we can also have some sensible limits to how much the industry can target kids.”

 “As a dad and a health advocate, I’m already concerned with how quickly the industry is growing and how it’s targeting young kids. When more than 60% of high schoolers say they’ve gambled with money in the last year, we have to do something,” said Josh Ewing, Executive Director of Healthier Colorado. “And we know when kids start any addictive behavior when they’re young, they are more likely to be impacted by its worst effects and have a harder time doing it responsibly as adults. SB 131 will establish the common-sense boundaries that Coloradans agree we need.”

Sponsors and advocates also held a press conference today to discuss the harms of unlimited digital gambling. View the recording here.

National research shows significant financial harms arise from sports gambling, including reduced savings and greater debt, debt delinquency, and a 25% rise in bankruptcy. Additionally, approximately 16% of Coloradans who gamble may be at risk of problem gambling, according to a 2023 survey by the Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado. Nationally, an estimated 6 million people suffer from problem gambling, and at least 90% are men. 

The harms of problem gambling can be dire. 1 in 2 people who suffer from problem gambling disorder will consider suicide, and 1 in 5 will make a suicide attempt — a higher rate than for any other addictive behavior. 

The bill aims to curb problem sports betting habits by implementing a limit of five deposits per customer within a 24-hour period and restricting the use of credit cards for sports betting accounts. SB 131 would also prohibit bonus payouts as promotional offers and prohibit proposition bets, or ‘prop’ bets.