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A recent report in Colorado combined all the sports betting activity since the state legalized it in 2019. And it offered quite the unique insight on sports betting behavior in the Centennial State.
Colorado is home to both the Colorado Avalanche and the University of Denver, a pair of hockey powerhouses at their respective levels. The Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022 and the Pioneers won the NCAA national championship three of the last five years.
However, Colorado sports bettors wagered more on table tennis than ice hockey.
In the last seven years, bettors have risked $958.8 million on hockey and $989.2 million on table tennis, according to numbers released by the Colorado Division of Gaming and collected by the Denver Post.
In total, the state has seen more than $30.6 billion wagered since legalization, with gross revenue reaching $2.33 billion.
Table Tennis Offers Unique Betting Windows
Betting so much on table tennis may seem unusual in a country that is infatuated with team sports like football, basketball, and baseball. But Colorado launched sports betting at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The professional leagues of the major American team sports were paused.
As a result, table tennis betting was incredibly popular during those early days of the shutdowns. One Nevada gambler turned $50 into $10,000 on a Ukrainian table tennis parlay in March 2020. There wasn’t much else to bet on.
Coloradans’ love of betting on the sport, however, goes beyond most states. In March 2021, a year after the start of the pandemic, and long after the restart of major American sports, Coloradans still wagered $8.8 million on the sport. One bettor told Yahoo Sports that betting on a sport outside the mainstream was part of the appeal.
“It kind of makes it exciting,” the bettor said. “There’s a lot of volatility.”
The sport offers plenty of action as well, with matches taking place in other parts of the world throughout the day. That includes betting windows when mainstream American sports might not be playing, such as mornings in the U.S.
Table tennis betting also topped wagering totals on golf, mixed martial arts, boxing, and motorsports.
Is There A Problem?
While the numbers may be humorous to some degree, problem gambling experts are concerned that the table tennis numbers may signal a bigger problem.
“The sheer volume of money being thrown at table tennis bets in Colorado is nothing short of alarming,” ODAAT Gambling Awareness posted on Instagram. The feed is run by a recovering gambling addict.
“It’s 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. When niche sports like ping-pong are pulling in massive wagers, it’s not just about entertainment anymore. It’s about an industry that thrives on keeping people hooked, no matter the consequences.”
State lawmakers are now considering a bipartisan bill meant to place restrictions on the sports betting industry. That would include banning prop betting, restricting advertising, and limiting bettors to five deposits within 24 hours.
Inside The Numbers
Beyond table tennis, the Division of Gaming numbers offer some additional insight on Colorado betting habits.
While football is generally the most popular betting option for most Americans, basketball was the most popular in Colorado, with a 23.9% share of betting ($7.3 billion). Pro and college football accounted for just 18% ($5.5 billion), followed by baseball at 10% ($3.1 billion).
Parlay betting was one of the most popular options in the Centennial State, coming in just behind basketball at 21.4% ($6.6 billion). Parlays remain extremely popular among American prognosticators and continue to boost sportsbook revenues.
In total, sportsbooks have had a 7.6% hold percentage since 2019 to reach $2.33 billion in revenue. Considering the state’s 10% tax rate, operators kept almost $2.1 billion before subtracting operating costs.
The American Gaming Association recently reported the U.S. commercial gaming industry saw record-breaking casino revenue of $783.6 billion in 2025, a 9.1% increase from 2024. Of that, sports betting accounted for $16.89 billion, a 22.7% jump from 2024.