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State of Play’s TL;DR
- Colorado advocates say gambling opportunities, including sports betting and prediction markets, are expanding faster than treatment and support resources.
- That’s especially true in rural areas.
Colorado’s gambling landscape is expanding faster than its support system, according to advocates who say rising sports betting activity and newer digital wagering products are outpacing treatment resources.
The gap appears especially sharp in rural areas, where in-person help can be limited.
Colorado advocates are warning that responsible gambling infrastructure is struggling to keep up as legal sports betting matures and less regulated digital products draw more attention. The issue has implications beyond one state: it highlights a challenge many US markets face as betting access becomes easier while gambling-specific care remains uneven.
Hotline demand rises as gambling options spread
Jamie Glick, president of the Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado, said the state is seeing people “inundated with opportunities to gamble” across both regulated and unregulated markets. According to Glick, 6,609 Coloradans contacted the 1-800-GAMBLER hotline last year, and 2025 call volume doubled 2022 levels.
Glick also said gambling-related harm is showing up in younger age groups, with many callers falling in the 25-to-44 age range. During Problem Gambling Awareness Month, coalition representatives visited Fort Lewis College to train counseling staff and share resources with students.
Colorado voters approved legal sports betting in 2019, with rollout beginning in 2020. State revenue data cited in the report shows more than $25 million was wagered in May 2020, the first month logged, compared with more than $618 million in December 2025, most of it online.
Rural Colorado faces limited in-person treatment options
The article points to a thin support network outside metro areas. In the Four Corners area of Colorado, the nearest Gamblers Anonymous meeting is a 3.5-hour drive to Grand Junction.
Glick said gambling addiction can be difficult to treat because it heavily involves finances, an area many therapists are not trained to address. He also noted that statewide in-person coverage is not realistic at current resource levels.
Other options do exist. Axis Health offers behavioral health services, there’s SMART Recovery meetings, and a 24/7 care line, while the Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado provides support groups, certified counseling, apps, and podcasts through COGamblerHelp.org.
Prediction markets add a new responsible gambling challenge
Beyond traditional sportsbooks, the report says prediction markets are complicating outreach and responsible gambling efforts. The article also cites trading cards and day trading as gambling-like activities that can blur the line for consumers.
At the same time, sports betting taxes are helping fund Colorado water projects. The Colorado Water Conservation Board has described that revenue as a stable and permanent funding source, with fiscal 2024 and 2025 support tied to several conservation projects.
Based on reporting by Ann Marie Vanderveen for The Journal.
