A Colorado lawmaker is fed up. State Senator Matt Ball says mobile sports betting has turned into a predator that lives in people’s pockets, and he just introduced Senate Bill 131 to put real brakes on it.
The bill is now headed to the Senate Finance Committee and could change how millions of Coloradans bet on games forever.
Why One Senator Says Enough Is Enough
Matt Ball is not some anti-gambling crusader. The guy has run his fantasy football league since 2010 and will still throw $500 on the Broncos any Sunday he feels like it.
But he draws the line at apps that let someone burn through rent money in minutes.
“It’s like handing an alcoholic the keys to an open bar 24/7,” Ball told KJCT. “We’re seeing kids come home from college with $15,000 to $20,000 on credit cards from one bad night. That’s not entertainment. That’s destruction.”
He points to research that hits hard: gambling addiction is linked to double-digit spikes in domestic violence, a 25% jump in bankruptcies, and higher rates of phone and utility defaults.
The speed of these apps is the real killer. Lose $500? The app instantly begs you to deposit again. Lose $1,000? It offers a “bonus” to keep chasing. Before you know it, the mortgage is gone.
The Simple Fixes in Senate Bill 131
The bill is built on one core idea: add friction.
Key changes it would make:
- Maximum of five deposits in any 24-hour period (you can still bet big, you just can’t reload endlessly while tilted)
- Force operators to hand over real data on risky behavior: deposit frequency, chase betting patterns, use of high-risk prop bets
- Put real limits on advertising blitzes that make gambling look risk-free
Ball says the five-deposit cap comes straight from the federal Safe Bet Act proposed by New York Rep. Paul Tonko. It is not a ban; it is a speed bump for people spiraling.
Parents, College Kids, and Empty Bank Accounts
Since news of the bill broke, Ball says his inbox has filled with messages no lawmaker wants to read.
Moms and dads telling him their son or daughter came home broke after a single weekend of betting on their phone. One parent wrote about a kid who lost $18,000 in one night while sitting in a dorm room.
These are not degenerate gamblers. They are 19- and 20-year-olds who got targeted by ads during every commercial break of every game.
The Industry Fights Transparency
Colorado’s sports betting industry has made more than $400 million in profit since 2020 while paying about $50 million in taxes. Operators have fought every attempt to see detailed player data.
Ball calls it outrageous.
“They’re making billions while hiding how many people they’re hurting,” he said. “This bill simply says: show us the numbers so we can make smart rules instead of guessing.”
What Happens Next
Senate Bill 131 heads to the Senate Finance Committee soon. If it passes there, it still needs full Senate approval, House approval, and Governor Jared Polis’s signature.
The betting industry is already lobbying hard against it. Responsible gaming groups and addiction counselors are pushing just as hard for it.
One thing is clear: Colorado opened the mobile betting floodgates in 2020, and now the state is finally asking whether anyone is drowning.
