Colorado became the seventh state in the post-PASPA era to surpass $10 billion in all-time sports wagering handle Tuesday after the Department of Revenue reported more than $518 million worth of accepted bets for the month of December.
The Centennial State joins New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New York, and Indiana in that select circle, reaching the benchmark in 32 months of wagering. More than half of Colorado’s $10.2 billion handle — $5.18 billion — was generated in 2022, and 98% of it is was generated via mobile wagering.
“Reaching the $10 billion mark in total handle, to us as regulators, shows how Coloradans have embraced this new, regulated form of entertainment and is exceeding our original estimates about where the industry would be two and half years after legalization,” said Dan Hartman, director of the Division of Gaming, in a statement e-mailed to'. “The real benefit from a robust market established in Colorado is the investment of the tax dollars to fund water projects keeping Colorado a viable and fruitful place to live and work.”
Handle was up 34.7% compared to 2021, and December’s figure was the fourth highest overall. It was the third straight month wagers totaled more than $500 million and fifth time in state history, all coming in 2022. The $518 million was 6.2% lower than November’s $552.6 million handle, but 12.3% better than the $461.4 million generated in December 2021.