Colorado sports betting tax rises 20.2% to $7.7m, outpacing wagers

Colorado collected 20.2% more in sports betting tax in the fiscal year through August 2026, reaching $7,717,731.60, while total wagers grew by a smaller 13.64%. The Colorado Division of Gaming, part of the state’s Department of Revenue, released the figures on 14 October 2026.

By the numbers

• Fiscal year-to-date tax: $7,717,731.60, up 20.2% on the same period a year earlier.
• Fiscal year-to-date wagers: $874,480,362.78, up 13.64% from $769,536,690.91 through August 2025.
• August 2026 wagers: $388,148,758.21.
• August 2026 tax: $3,154,842.89.

The details

The division says sports betting tax revenue supports the Colorado Water Plan Grant programme. One project it names is the San Miguel Watershed Coalition’s Wildfire Ready Action Plan, covering 1,500 square miles of south-western Colorado from Telluride to western Montrose County.

The division’s director, Christopher Schroder, said the taxes “directly benefit all Coloradoans through the Water Plan grant program”.

The release does not split wagers or tax between retail and online sportsbooks or by operator. It also does not say what drove tax collections to grow faster than wagers, or give the net sports betting proceeds behind the August tax figure.

The big picture

Separately, the division reported that Colorado’s limited (casino) gaming taxes doubled in a month but rose just 1.9% on the year in August.