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Colorado lawmakers are pushing through two bills that would place limits on sports wagering in the state. Both measures passed their first committee votes in the Senate in recent weeks.
SB26-131 pertains to sports betting protections, more specifically concerning protections against abusive practices in sports betting. The legislation has four main sponsors. Among them, Democrat Matt Bell.
"It is the only addiction where you think that the cure for your addiction is doing that thing one more time,” Bell said.
SB26-131 seeks to prohibit the acceptance of more than 5 separate deposits from an individual in a 24-hour period. It also would limit the size and frequency of deposits or bets because an individual obtains a financial benefit as a result of placing the bet or due to the individual's betting activities.
The bill also would prohibit the broadcasting an advertisement or promotion for a sports betting operation from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m, and would place a ban on offering or accepting a proposition bet as well as directly or indirectly accepting deposits using a credit card.
SB26-131 allows the commission to assess a maximum penalty of $25,000 against a violator of a prohibition.
Prop bet and credit card prohibitions were enacted in various states that regulate sports betting throughout 2025 and that trend continues.
Prop bets are viewed as a threat to the integrity of sports with various documented cases and federal indictments implicating players and coaches alleged to have traded on insider information to win bets. NBA player Terry Rozier is currently facing serious federal allegations tied to an illegal sports gambling scheme. Rozier has thus far plead not guilty to the allegations.
Despite that, State Sen. Janice Marchman, D-Loveland, noted that voters approved prop bets when they voted for sports gambling in 2019.
“I feel like if we want to take prop bets out, we owe it to the voters to go back to them and ask them to take that part out,” said Marchman.
The other bill currently moving through the legislative process pertains to state lotteries.
SB26-117 is entitled Permissible Methods of Selling Lottery Tickets.
The bill summary is as follows: "The Colorado lottery (lottery) commission adopted rules that removed a prohibition on the use of credit or other noncash bases to buy lottery tickets and instant scratch game tickets. The bill reinstates the prohibition on the lottery or any licensed lottery retailer from selling lottery tickets or instant scratch game tickets on a credit or other noncash basis and requires the lottery to sell such tickets for cash only, including checks, money orders, and debit cards. The bill also prohibits the online sale of any lottery ticket or instant scratch game ticket, regardless of payment method. The bill requires the lottery commission to adopt rules implementing the bill.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)."
- Chris Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
