The pattern towards states banning the usage of bank cards for on-line gaming and sports activities betting continues this week in Colorado. The state Senate handed the measure earlier this 12 months. The legislation not solely prohibits bank card utilization but in addition limits deposit frequency.
The proposal acquired bipartisan assist in each homes of the General Assembly and was signed into legislation by Gov. Jared Polis (D) on June 2. The guidelines went into impact on Wednesday.
Sen. Matt Ball (D) sponsored the laws and believes the invoice will assist curb drawback playing within the state.
“Online sports betting has placed casinos in the pocket of nearly every Coloradan, with little protections built in for those addicted to gambling or our young people,” Ball informed Colorado Newsline.
“[The bill] honors what voters approved in 2019 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.”
Credit-Funding Banned
Under SB 26-131, sports activities betting platform customers can not use bank cards to fund accounts. This consists of credit-funded transactions through digital cost programs.
Violations can incur a $25,000 nice for operators.
The transfer comes as whole U.S. bank card debt reached $1.26 trillion within the second quarter of 2026, up $21 billion from the primary quarter, in accordance with new numbers released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Other states have made related strikes lately. Maine banned bank card utilization earlier this 12 months, and lawmakers in Virginia additionally prohibited bank cards in July. Massachusetts, Iowa, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Connecticut, and Vermont beforehand banned bank card deposits.
Ohio lawmakers launched related laws in April and Illinois did the identical in October. Ohio, New York, New Jersey, and Maryland are contemplating bank card bans as properly.
The bank card deposit problem is enjoying out as some researchers and accountable gaming advocates have grow to be involved with the rising pattern in betting amongst younger individuals.
A examine in 2024 detailed that bankruptcies have been on the rise in states with legalized on-line wagering. In response, some universities have even created lessons centered on accountable gaming.
Other Issues Addressed In Bill
Beyond that problem, the legislation consists of a number of different adjustments to the sports activities betting panorama within the Centennial State. Bettors will now be restricted to 6 deposits in a single day.
Additionally, the legislation restricts operators from utilizing push notifications or textual content messages to advertise betting or make a deposit.
Advertising that targets these below 21 or any particular demographic can also be be banned.
Coloradans Have Wagered Over $30 Billion Since 2019
Sports betting has been notably fashionable in Colorado, even wagering on extra obscure sports activities. A report launched in June by the Colorado Division of Gaming confirmed that Coloradans wagered greater than $30.6 billion since legalization in 2019, with gross income reaching $2.33 billion.
That included $989.2 million on desk tennis, greater than the $958.8 million wager on hockey. That’s regardless of Colorado being residence to the three-time Stanley Cup champion Avalanche and the University of Denver, winners of the NCAA nationwide championship three of the final 5 years.
The state additionally has a vibrant business on line casino panorama, with two tribal operations as properly. The American Gaming Association reported that Colorado business on line casino gaming and sports activities betting income in 2025 grew 8.2% to greater than $1.7 billion.
Sports Betting Surges Across U.S.
A complete of 39 states plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico now have legalized sports activities betting for the reason that Supreme Court overturned the digital ban on wagering outdoors Nevada.
The AGA reported in May that whole income from business sports activities betting operations within the U.S. reached $16.89 billion in 2025, a 22.7% improve from 2024.
The sports activities betting business may see income declines sooner or later as prediction markets proceed to develop throughout the nation. Their emergence has led to authorized battles between state gaming regulators and firms like Kalshi and Polymarket, which argue that their sports activities occasion contracts are completely different from conventional sports activities betting and controlled solely on the federal degree by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
