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Gaming Edge’s TL;DR
- Colorado bettors have wagered more on table tennis than hockey since sports betting launched in 2020, a striking data point in a market that has already handled more than $30.6 billion.
- The numbers are now feeding a broader debate over problem gambling, sportsbook marketing, and proposed limits on betting activity.
According to the Colorado sports betting data, bettors in the state have wagered $989.2 million on table tennis since legalization in 2020. That is more than the $958.8 million wagered on hockey over the same period.
The table tennis total also topped wagering on golf, mixed martial arts, boxing, and motorsports.
Betting on the sport surged during the COVID-19 shutdown period in March 2020, when sportsbooks and bettors had fewer mainstream events available, but activity did not disappear after that stretch. As recently as March 2021, Coloradans still wagered $8.8 million on table tennis.
Overall, Colorado has taken in more than $30.6 billion in wagers since sports betting was legalized. Gross revenue has reached $2.33 billion, and sportsbooks have posted a 7.6% hold percentage since 2020.
Basketball is the most bet-on sport
Colorado’s latest betting figures offer a revealing look at how US wagering habits can drift well beyond the biggest leagues. While basketball and football still dominate overall handle, the state’s table tennis total has become one of the more unusual markers of how deep and always-on the modern sportsbook menu has become.
The state’s most popular betting category remains basketball, which accounted for 23.9% of all wagering, or $7.3 billion. Pro and college football made up 18%, or $5.5 billion, while baseball accounted for 10%, or $3.1 billion. Parlay betting alone represented 21.4% of betting volume, or $6.6 billion.
The report also included a bettor’s explanation for the appeal of niche wagering. “It kind of makes it exciting,” one bettor said. The same bettor added, “There’s a lot of volatility.”
‘Nothing short of alarming’
The Colorado figures matter because they show how betting volume can build around niche, fast-cycle events rather than only marquee US sports. For a national gambling audience, that is a reminder that sportsbook growth is being driven not just by football Sundays and March basketball, but also by constant access to smaller markets and high-frequency betting options.
That has also sharpened the responsible gambling conversation.
ODAAT Gambling Awareness called the table tennis totals “nothing short of alarming” and said the figures are “a stark reminder that we’re teetering on the edge of something serious – an epidemic of gambling addiction that’s growing in ways most people don’t even realize.”
Colorado lawmakers are considering a bipartisan bill that would ban prop betting, restrict advertising, and limit bettors to five deposits within 24 hours.
Based on reporting by Sean Chaffin for CardPlayer.
