A coalition of legislators has introduced a bill that backers said would help combat sports gambling addiction, particularly among children.

Colorado voters approved Proposition DD in 2019, legalizing sports betting statewide. The majority of the state’s sports betting revenue goes to the Colorado Water Plan Grant Program, which funds water conservation, storage, and supply projects.

“Though legalized sports betting has helped fund Colorado water projects, the dangers of online gambling become more clear each day,” said Rep. Steven Woodrow, D-Denver, one of the sponsors.

“Coloradans have become increasingly addicted to betting in the face of new technologies and aggressive marketing tactics, trapping consumers in cycles of debt. This bill creates important guardrails to curb underage gambling, restrict harmful advertising, and crack down on predatory operators,” he said.

According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, Coloradans wagered over $6 billion in online sports bets in 2025, a 130% increase from 2020. Sports betting has become particularly popular among young men, with 36% of boys aged 11 to 17 saying they’ve gambled in the past year.

Sponsored by Woodrow, Sens. Matt Ball, D-Denver, and Rod Pelton, R-Sterling, and Rep. Dan Woog, R-Erie, Senate Bill 131 bill would implement a limit of five deposits per customer within 24 hours and restrict the use of credit cards for sports betting.

The bill would also prohibit proposition bets, which are wagers on specific events or milestones within a game, such as passing yards or the first team to score.

Additionally, SB 131 would prohibit sports betting companies from sending certain push notifications or texts to account holders in Colorado and set guardrails around what language can and cannot be included in sports betting advertisements.

Finally, the bill would require sports betting operators to provide annual transactional data and metrics reports to the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Gaming Division. The division will publish a report on the data every three years beginning in 2029.

“My intent for joining this bill is to protect kids and families. We are seeing sports betting companies aggressively advertise on programs and platforms that children are watching, normalizing gambling at a young age and fueling addiction before kids have the capacity to understand the risks,” said Woog. “As lawmakers, we have a responsibility to step in when industries target our kids and put their health and future at risk. These are commonsense guardrails that ensure profit never comes before our kids.”

The bill has been assigned to the House Finance Committee.