Colorado Partnership Provides Gambling Addiction Treatment, Faster Path To Advanced Care

Kindbridge Behavioral Health and Axis Integrated Mental Health have formed a partnership to expand access to care for Coloradans struggling with gambling addiction and related mental health conditions.

Kindbridge is a Denver-based national provider specializing in gambling addiction treatment, while Axis Integrated Mental Health is an award-winning Colorado psychiatry clinic.

The partnership provides a clear care pathway for individuals and families. This includes specialized gambling addiction therapy as the starting point, with advanced psychiatric treatment like Deep TMS and Spravato (esketamine) provided as the next step when therapy alone is not enough.

“Gambling disorder is one of the most misunderstood behavioral health conditions, but it is highly treatable with the right care,” said Kindbridge CEO Daniel Umfleet. “This partnership makes it easier for Colorado families to take action quickly and access specialized treatment that matches the true complexity of the problem.”

A Growing Need In Colorado

Since the launch of legal sports betting in Colorado in 2020, participation has grown significantly, with annual wagering increasing from approximately $2.3 billion to more than $6.3 billion. This growth reflects expanded access to regulated betting options statewide, particularly through mobile platforms.

As access has expanded, so has the importance of ensuring that appropriate supports are available. Public-health research commonly estimates that approximately 5% of individuals who gamble may experience serious gambling-related challenges, representing a meaningful number of Coloradans who could benefit from timely, specialized support.

While Colorado has made important investments in prevention, education, and responsible gambling initiatives, the treatment landscape continues to evolve. Many existing services are not yet fully equipped to address gambling disorder alongside commonly co-occurring mental-health conditions such as depression, ADHD, PTSD, or trauma—highlighting an opportunity to further strengthen the continuum of care.

When Therapy Is Not Enough

This partnership helps fill that gap by offering an integrated model that combines Kindbridge’s gambling-specific therapy with Axis’s advanced psychiatric care. Kindbridge provides specialized gambling addiction therapy and structured support via telehealth, helping individuals intervene early and build recovery skills. 

For patients who need additional support, Axis offers advanced interventions that can help accelerate progress:

• Deep TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation): A non-invasive, drug-free treatment targeting brain networks involved in mood regulation and impulse control. Research into TMS for compulsive behaviors and addiction-related symptoms is emerging and may offer hope for patients who have not improved with standard approaches alone.
• Spravato (esketamine): An FDA-approved nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression. For patients whose compulsive gambling is driven by severe depression or emotional numbness, Spravato may help improve symptoms more rapidly, allowing therapy and behavior change to take hold

“Most people want help for their compulsive behaviors but are unsure of where to even start,” said Liesl Perez, Axis Integrated Mental Health’s cofounder. “This partnership makes it easier for people to start care easily with specialized therapy, then access cutting-edge treatments that can deliver better results than just medication or therapy alone.”

Coloradans can access Kindbridge’s gambling addiction therapy statewide via telehealth, while Axis provides in-person psychiatric care and advanced treatments at its clinics in Denver, Aurora, Boulder and Westminster.

Last fall, Umfleet appeared on Gambling.com’s “The Edge” to discuss Kindbridge Behavioral Health’s overall mission.