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COSAM Supports Legislation to Establish Alcohol Recovery Enterprises and New Sports Betting Consumer Protections
On March 17, the Colorado Society of Addiction Medicine (COSAM) sent letters to the leadership of key committees in support of two priority bills: HB26-1271 and SB26-131.
HB26-1271 would establish enterprises to collect fees on the alcohol industry. These enterprises would also seek to address the impacts of alcohol use on Coloradans. In the letter, COSAM argued that protecting Coloradans from harmful alcohol use is a public health imperative. They noted that alcohol kills over 2,000 Coloradans per year and is associated with several other negative health outcomes. HB26-1271 would help reduce alcohol consumption by raising prices. It would also invest in early intervention, treatment, and recovery.
Meanwhile, SB26-131 would establish new protections for sports betting consumers in Colorado. Specifically, the bill would restrict predatory practices like direct push notifications and harmful proposition bets. In the letter, COSAM cited that nearly $6 billion was spent on sports wagers by Coloradans in 2024. This upward trend comes as problematic gambling and gambling addiction is on the rise nationwide. Problematic gambling and gambling addiction are associated with several negative societal impacts including increased credit card debt and higher overdraft frequency among vulnerable households. COSAM characterized SB26-131 as an important bill to reign in the negative impacts of sports betting as the industry grows in Colorado.
