Colorado Sports Betting Bill Heads To State House
Jesse M. Cox Published 01/05/2026
A bill that would introduce several reforms and protections to the way people bet on sports in Colorado is in front of the State House for consideration. Senate Bill 26-131 was passed by the State Senate. The final balloting was 20-14 in favor of passage. The bill is now in front of the House Finance Committee.
The bipartisan bill would crack down on problem gambling, prohibit the use of credit cards to place wagers or fund online sports betting accounts, and eliminate the use of push notifications by sports betting sites. Deposits to online sports betting accounts would be capped at five over a rolling 24-hour period.
Bill's sponsors want to put guardrails in place to protect Colorado sports bettors
The main sponsor of SB-131 thinks that sports betting in Colorado has grown too rapidly. That's leading some bettors to wager beyond their means. Senator Matt Bell believes that his bill will put responsible guardrails in place for Colorado sports betting.
“Online sports betting has placed casinos in the pocket of nearly every Coloradan with little protection built in for those addicted to gambling or our young people,” Ball said in a statement that was reported by Colorado Newsline. “(SB-131) honors what voters approved in 2019 (when legal and regulated sports betting launched in the state) while making sure that an industry that has grown from $1 billion to more than $6 billion wagered in just a few years isn’t doing so at the cost of our families’ financial security, our kids’ wellbeing, or the integrity of the games we love.”
Among the other steps that would be taken if SB-131 becomes a law would see severe penalties imposed on any online sports betting site that was found to be taking wagers from an underage bettor. Colorado restricts sports betting to people 21 years and older.
Senators see the impact of problem gambling in Colorado
Ball, a Democrat from Denver, co-sponsored the bill with Republican Senator Byron Pelton of Sterling. Pelton says he's been witness to the impact that a sports betting addiction can make on a family. He thinks it's the role of the government to ensure that problem gambling can be curtailed. In those instances when it does take effect, proper treatment options should be in place and available.
“Across rural and urban Colorado, families are seeing the very real harm that unchecked online sports betting can cause,” Pelton said. “We aren’t telling adults what to do, we’re putting basic consumer protections in place, especially for our kids, and making sure the industry is accountable when things go wrong.”
The original bill has been significantly trimmed
Two major initiatives that were originally part of SB-131 have since been stripped from the bill.
A proposal to ban all prop betting in the state was cut. Lawmakers felt it would have too drastic an impact on the state economy. In Colorado, prop betting generates $1.6 billion in sports betting tax revenue for the state every year.
Also dropped from the bill was a plan to limit when sportsbooks could advertise on TV.
If the bill passes in the State House, it would go to the desk of Colorado Governor Jared Polis to be signed into law. The Colorado Legislature adjourns May 13. That means the clock is ticking on the chance that the bill passes before the end of 2026.
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