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State of Play’s TL;DR
- Colorado lawmakers dropped a proposed ban on prop bets from Senate Bill 131 while preserving other consumer protections.
- The move keeps popular high‑risk wagers legal in the state but pushes forward data collection, advertising limits, and deposit controls.
Lawmakers on the Colorado Senate Appropriations Committee voted to remove a ban on prop bets from Senate Bill 131, a wider sports betting reform package.
Prop bets – wagers on specific player outcomes and multi‑leg packaged bets – had been singled out by some advocates for links to addiction and potential integrity risks.
Sponsors pared back the ban as a “friendly amendment,” with Sen. Matt Ball (D‑Denver) saying it cut the bill’s fiscal hit from an estimated $2.4 million in lost sports betting revenue to about $800,000 in the first fiscal year.
The bill still includes several reforms:
- Prohibiting credit card wagering
- Requiring sportsbooks to submit data for a state report
- Limiting advertising and certain push notifications
- Capping daily deposit frequency
Measure now in front of full Senate
The state would spend roughly $1.25 million over the first two fiscal years to collect and publish sportsbook data. The amended bill passed the committee and now moves to the full Senate and then the House before the session ends.
- For bettors: Keeping prop bets means Colorado players will retain access to complex, high‑variance markets that drive engagement and big payouts – and, for some, bigger losses. The credit card ban and daily deposit caps aim to curb risky behavior, while limits on advertising and push notifications will reduce unsolicited solicitations.
- For operators: Removing the prop ban preserves a key revenue stream and helps avoid a steeper tax shortfall. Lawmakers were warned a full ban could cost the state millions – funds that support projects like water initiatives – so the compromise eases fiscal pressure.
Overall, the package represents a middle path: continued market access for bettors and operators coupled with tighter consumer safeguards and monitoring.
Based on reporting by Ben Markus for Colorado Public Radio.
