Colorado Sports Betting Deposit Limit Bill Heads to Governor — Here Is What Bettors Need to Know

Colorado lawmakers sent Senate Bill 131 to Governor Jared Polis on May 14 after the Senate approved House amendments in a 20-15 vote on the final day of the 2026 legislative session. The bill would make Colorado the first state in the country to impose a statutory limit on how many times a bettor can deposit into a sportsbook account per day. Under the measure, bettors would be capped at six deposits per gaming day, credit card deposits would be banned entirely, and operators would be prohibited from sending push notifications or text messages encouraging bets or additional deposits. Polis has 30 days to sign, veto, or allow the bill to take effect without his signature.

Five of Colorado’s 13 licensed online sportsbooks already ban credit card deposits voluntarily, meaning the credit card restriction would apply universally across a standard that much of the market already meets. The push notification ban and the deposit frequency cap, however, are both new mandates with no equivalent in any other US state’s sports betting regulations.

How the Bill Would Affect Colorado Bettors

For casual bettors who fund their sportsbook accounts once or twice a week, the six-deposit daily cap is unlikely to create any practical change. The restriction is aimed primarily at high-frequency depositors who may be engaging in compulsive behavior, adding friction to the process of repeatedly refunding an account after losses without placing a dollar limit on individual deposit amounts. A bettor who typically makes a single $500 deposit before a Sunday slate of games would not be affected at all.

The credit card ban is the more universally impactful provision, requiring any bettor currently using a credit card to fund a sportsbook account to switch to a debit card, bank transfer, PayPal, or another accepted method before the law takes effect. If enacted, the law would be effective 90 days after the legislature adjourns, potentially as early as August 12. Bettors using Colorado sportsbook apps should verify their current deposit method now and identify alternatives if needed. A full list of Colorado sports betting apps is available to compare deposit options across licensed platforms.

The Broader Responsible Gambling Context

SB 131 also bars sportsbooks and affiliates from targeting anyone under 21 and prohibits marketing language like bonus bet and no sweat in promotional materials. The bipartisan bill reflects a growing legislative appetite in legalized sports betting states for structural responsible gambling requirements rather than purely voluntary opt-in tools. Several states, including New Jersey and Michigan, have been evaluating similar frameworks, and Colorado’s action gives advocates a model to point to if Polis signs the measure.

Major operators active in Colorado — including DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Caesars — would all be subject to the new rules. None of these operators has publicly commented on SB 131 specifically, though the industry broadly opposed the most restrictive versions of the bill during earlier stages of the legislative process. Whether the governor signs it will likely depend on how he weighs the responsible gambling case for the restrictions against the competitive concerns raised by operators that risk losing business to neighboring states without comparable rules.