How did Colorado end up with so little for problem gambling programs?

How did Colorado end up with so little for problem gambling programs?

Article brief provided by COBets
  • Jill R. Dorson, COBets
June 17, 2021 11:30 PM
  • Jill R. Dorson, COBets

April 30 marked the official end of the first year of live sports betting in Colorado … but seven weeks later, problem gambling programs are still waiting for money to flow from the Department of Revenue into their accounts. And advocates say that the $130,000 earmarked for problem gambling initiatives in Colorado isn’t nearly enough.

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Given Colorado’s population of about 5.7 million, that $130,000 works out to less than 3 cents per capita to handle problem gambling issues. Of course, not every resident will gamble, and most gamblers won’t encounter trouble, but since the introduction of sports betting on May 1, 2020, the National Council on Problem Gambling reports that the number of calls made to the national problem gambling hotline spiked by 35%.