7% of Colorado sports bettors show serious gambling problems
Colorado’s sports bettors wagered $6.4bn in 2025-2026, generating $47m in state tax revenue.
The hit
Interim results from a UNLV study found 7% of Colorado sports bettors reported serious gambling problems, according to lead researcher Shane Kraus. The study surveyed 500 random Coloradans, including gamblers & non-gamblers, & found 4% of them bet on sports. Kraus called the prevalence rate “kind of high” & said it’s “concerning”.
Why it matters
Kraus said Colorado now has a benchmark for problem gambling & “we have to lower it”. He said problem gambling ran 2% higher among women, though researchers have not yet explained why. The study also flags that 13.9% of participants admitted gambling online, which is illegal in Colorado, & that some bettors used prediction markets.
The record
| Most common gambling activity | 41.4% cited the lottery |
|---|---|
| Funding source | Colorado Problem Gambling Coalition |
| Sportsbook ads seen in World Cup final week | 59.4% saw sportsbook advertising at least once |
| World Cup final betting | 7.3% placed a real-money bet |
What happens next
UNLV also studied 1,400 gamblers & non-gamblers nationwide & is still evaluating that data, with final results due after the Super Bowl in February.
Sources: Colorado: UNLV study finds high problem gambling rate among sports bettors
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