The Colorado Division of Gaming has recently rejected 147 betting markets, with nearly two-thirds of these being declined due to concerns over their potential “negative connotations.” This decision was part of an ongoing review of the state’s betting catalog, as outlined in a public document released by the Division.
The rejected markets primarily involve wagers that the Division deemed negative markets. These types of bets typically focus on undesirable outcomes, such as player errors or penalties, which the Division believes could harm the integrity and perception of sports betting in Colorado.
A spokesperson for the Division told SBC Americas that a negative wager is one that “can be interpreted as having a negative connotation or negative result on gameplay.” Examples provided included over/under bets on technical fouls per player and wagers on whether a player would be ejected from a game. These types of bets were removed to maintain the integrity of sports betting in the state.
The 96 negative markets that were rejected covered a wide range of sports, including baseball, football, basketball, and soccer. Among the declined wagers were bets on the number of walks a baseball player or team would have, predictions on the occurrence of fumbles in football, over/under bets on technical fouls in basketball games, and forecasts on whether a golfer would miss a cut or hit a shot out of bounds.
In addition to these, some markets were rejected due to concerns about their potential impact on the integrity of the games themselves. For instance, bets on whether a hockey coach would request an additional video review or which NFL team would call the first timeout during a game were also declined.
This recent wave of rejections marks a shift in the Division’s approach to regulating betting markets. Previously, only a small number of markets had been rejected for similar reasons, indicating that the Division is now placing a stronger emphasis on maintaining a fair betting environment.
The Colorado Division of Gaming regularly updates its catalog of approved events and wagers to ensure compliance with state regulations and ethical standards. The spokesperson also noted that the Approved Colorado Catalog of Events and Wagers is publicly available on the Division’s website.