(COLORADO SPRINGS) — All across the country, anticipation builds for Super Bowl LVIII as the San Francisco 49ers face off against the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas. Given the championship’s setting in a city known for its betting culture, it comes as no surprise that nationwide, wagers will be made regardless of viewers’ team preferences.
A report from the Colorado Division of Gaming highlighted the top ten sports Coloradans placed bets on over a three-year span of sports betting. The findings revealed that NBA basketball secured the top spot, followed by NFL football and MLB baseball.
“The Super Bowl is a very popular event and it’s consistently one of the busiest betting days of the year,” said Director of Colorado Division of Gaming, Christopher Schroder. “We envision that we’re going to see those numbers continue to mimic or at the very least, prior year numbers, but we are anticipating continued growth in.”
Compared to previous years, the total handle in 2023 surpassed $37 million, with game day bets totaling around $24 million and pre-game day bets reaching $13 million.
“Last year, we saw that the total handle or total wages for the month [February 2023] was over $425 million dollars,” Schroder said. “To get that break down even more, almost $38 million bet just on the Super Bowl itself, of that $24 million occurring just on Super Bowl Sunday of last year.”
In May 2020, Colorado joined a handful of other states legalizing sports betting, becoming the 18th state to do so. Alongside online and mobile betting options, several mountain towns like Cripple Creek, Central City, and Black Hawk offer the opportunity for in-person betting experiences.
“We’re very passionate about our gaming towns and we’re able to see significant improvements to those towns based on the development of those towns, based on all the taxes that are brought in to assist them and so we have a great relationship with those betting towns,” said Schroder.
As sports lovers across the nation gear up to watch the big game, the Division of Gaming emphasizes responsible betting and encourages awareness of the numerous resources at hand.
“We want to make sure that people are betting within their means,” said Schroder.
In our state, one initiative aimed at promoting responsible gaming and betting is the self-exclusion program which allows individuals to voluntarily exclude themselves from all forms of gaming. You can enroll in exclusion periods lasting one, three, or five years, effectively prohibiting themselves from participation. Applications to the self-exclusion list can be found here.
“We do have resources for any individual that feels that they have a concern when it comes to gaming,” Schroder said. “We’re very passionate about gaming, but we’re very passionate about responsible gaming. We want to make sure that people are betting within their means. Gaming is supposed to be a form of entertainment. It’s not meant to pay your bills and it’s not meant to build a house.”
The Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado serves as the state advocate, facilitating access to available programs and services for individuals in need. Peggy Brown serves as the President for the Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado and explained the center’s versatile approach to assisting individuals through in-person meetings, hybrid methods, or even over the phone, ensuring accessibility for various needs.
“Actually in June, we were able to start the Problem Gambling Center of Colorado, which is the first of its kind in in Colorado, which we were very proud of,” Brown said. “It’s different in a lot of respects from other centers in other states and what we try to do is all of our meetings that we conduct are hybrid.”
When discussing the repercussions of gambling on one’s life, Brown underscored that unlike other addictions, it might not be immediately apparent, but beneath the surface there can be a profound problem.
“We know what drugs and alcohol do, with gambling, you can’t smell it on your breath, you can’t see it in your behavior,” Brown said. “We go through the normal day, you know looking like everybody else, but we live in a distracted world, in a fantasy world where everything’s all-consuming with gambling, and it becomes evident when our relationships are destroyed, or we start getting into financial trouble or we start falling into depression.”
A growing concern within the realm of sports betting is the trend of increasingly younger demographics participating. This is largely attributed to the ease of placing bets via smartphones, leading to heightened involvement of younger adults in gambling activities.
“There’s a prevalence from the 25 to 35-year age group and it’s progressing in college,” Brown explained. “You’re not even a legal better until 21, so there’s just a shorter time frame. But, you know, it’s become so socially acceptable, you go to a bar, and you watch the game, and you do the bets and now with micro-betting you can bet within the games.”
When discussing gambling addiction and its far-reaching impact, Brown hopes to raise awareness about the Problem Gambling Center and the numerous resources available online, aiming to provide support not only to the individual but also to their loved ones.
While this weekend marks a significant event for sports betting, it also indicates the ongoing popularity across the state, with expectation of continued growth. In December 2023 the Division of Gaming saw a record-breaking month in sports betting with a total handle of $716 million dollars, which was a 17% increase compared to November.
“If those run rates continue, I think that we’re going to have another great January and great February. We’re still waiting to fully audit those, but if we continue to see this current run rate, I think that all 2024 is going have a very stellar year.
