Colorado sports bettors will face new restrictions on how they fund online sportsbook accounts beginning Wednesday, August 12, as a new state law introduces a daily deposit limit and eliminates credit card deposits.
Senate Bill 26-131, signed by Gov. Jared Polis on June 2, limits online sportsbook customers to no more than six separate deposits during a single “gaming day.” The law defines a gaming day as a continuous 24-hour period established by each sportsbook for recording and reporting gaming activity.
Importantly, the restriction does not place a dollar cap on how much a bettor can deposit. Instead, it limits the number of times an account can be funded during the 24-hour period.
The measure also prohibits Colorado online sportsbooks from accepting credit cards for sports betting deposits. Operators that violate the credit card provision can face penalties of up to $25,000, while violations can also constitute a Class 2 misdemeanor under the new law.
Colorado Adds New Sports Betting Restrictions
The deposit rules are part of a broader package of changes included in SB 26-131.
Online sportsbooks will also be prohibited from sending push notifications or text messages to Colorado account holders that solicit bets or deposits. Sports betting operators and their marketing affiliates face additional restrictions on advertising targeted toward people under 21.
Colorado lawmakers approved the measure during the 2026 legislative session, with supporters presenting the restrictions as additional consumer protections in a rapidly growing mobile betting market. Sports betting has been available in Colorado since May 2020.
State Sen. Matt Ball, one of the bill’s prime sponsors, previously described mobile sportsbooks as effectively putting a casino in a bettor’s pocket while discussing concerns surrounding the accessibility of online wagering.
The new rules are scheduled to take effect on August 12, 2026.
Offshore Sportsbooks Offer More Banking Flexibility
The changes also create a larger difference between banking options at Colorado sportsbook apps and those available at many offshore sportsbook sites.
While Colorado sportsbooks will no longer be able to process credit card deposits, some offshore operators continue to accept credit and debit cards. Cryptocurrency has also become a major banking option at offshore sportsbooks, with platforms supporting assets including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, USDT and USDC.
Deposit limits can also be considerably higher depending on the sportsbook and payment method. BetOnline, for example, currently advertises support for 17 cryptocurrencies and lists a maximum of up to $500,000 per crypto transaction. Bovada likewise lists cryptocurrency deposit options with maximums that vary depending on the digital currency being used.
That gives bettors who prefer alternative payment methods more options for moving money into their accounts, particularly those who use cryptocurrency or want access to higher transaction limits.
For Colorado-regulated sportsbook users, however, the immediate change is straightforward: beginning August 12, credit cards are out, and bettors will need to keep their account funding to six or fewer separate deposits during each gaming day.
SB26-131 Bill Language | Denver Post
