3/26/2022»»Saturday

Is Gambling Legal In Colorado

3/26/2022

This is one of the states that at first glance should hold a large portion of the US online gambling opportunities, with high expectations towards the legalization of online gambling and casinos. This idea is based on the extensive Colorado casinos list existent within the CO state’s borders. But, despite this general belief, the online market is not as developed as one would think, although some interesting movements can be seen.

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Contents

Colorado Gambling Laws

The natural mountain scenery makes the state a popular touristic attraction. In this context, a wave of liberal laws has been put in motion. For example, the legalizing of medicinal marijuana in 2012 and the introduction of Colorado gambling laws, were not followed by any of the changes for worse in the society, expected by pessimists and with the upside of increased tax revenues.
A latecomer in the market of casino gambling, Colorado had the first regulations for this subject ready at the beginning of the 90s. They have steadily evolved ever since, but full potential is yet to be reached.
The casinos that were operating under the first 1990 laws had some restrictions:

  • There was a legally set maximum limit of 5 USD per wager, which has put a dent in high rollers’ appetite. Certainly, not a lot of people felt like their life could be turned upside-down by the winnings pertaining to such a low amount wager.
  • The only games that were allowed to be played in any of the existent land-based casinos were slots and some limited table games, such as blackjack and some forms of poker.
  • Also, all casinos were closed for the most part of the night, between 2 and 8 AM. This was counter-intuitive, seeing how statistically speaking, those late-hours were the ones gamblers favour the most in playing, and casino operators take the most profit from the whole day.

The 2008 amendments meant the transformation of these establishments into real tourist attractions, profiting on the spectacular mountain views and completing the array of services offered by the resorts that were drawing in tourists:

The gambling laws in Colorado cover everything from the actual gambling activities, to government decisions as well as the gambling commissions that oversee state-regulated gaming activities. Generally speaking, Colorado has some strict laws prohibiting some forms of gambling but there are some pretty clear-cut exceptions. The legal gambling age in Colorado is 18 for lottery and bingo, but 21 for horse racing and casino games. The gambling age for live sports betting would also be 21. Is Bovada legal in Colorado? Bovada, like MyBookie, is an unregulated, offshore sportsbook. As such, it is not legal in Colorado.

  • The casinos working hours have been increased, and the venues were allowed to run operations for 24 hours straight. This created the premises for developing these establishments into the type of resorts that grow around these casinos, which we can find in many other states around the country.
  • The maximum betting limit has been increased to 100 USD. While still not a high rollers’ haven, it’s clearly a more attractive restriction from the tourists’ and overall gamblers’ point of view.
  • The gaming offer intensified, with the roulette and craps becoming a part of the supplied games. Sure, this is not the best version available for the market of gambling in Colorado, it can still be improved with adding the baccarat, for example.

But with all these restrictions in place, let’s just say that the gambling market is still more liberal than in many other states. And if this air of freedom continues at the same steady pace it has so far, perhaps more selections are going to be available in the near future. The online part is still unexplored, although some ways of trying to profit from the potential of this niche exist, as can be seen in what follows.

Online Options

As stated before, the Colorado online gambling market is yet to be truly discovered. Although the main competitors on the market prepare themselves for the eventuality of becoming a regulated activity, not that many changes happen in the legal side of the subject.
The most steps in the direction of legalizing online activity were taken in 2013, when a bill for regulating online poker, made its way into the debate. However, it didn’t gain the necessary support and slowly the interest for it faded away.
The latest step was to legalize daily fantasy sports in 2016, with a licensing system. But even in this case, there is some sort of liberty. For example, sites with less than 7500 users have no need for a license.
The actual land-based casinos prepare for the introduction of the legal possibility that online slots for real money are going to be introduced. They offer the visitors of their sites the option of trying, for free on these websites, a selection of the slot machines available in the land-based locations. This serves as a marketing stunt to increase the residents’ appetite for gambling, to increase interest both in the classic games and in their online versions and to establish a sense of familiarity with the whole gambling phenomenon. All these leading to more players, meaning an increase in the customer base.
However, the online option is highly available in this state, the same as in other states, by taking advantage of the so-called “gray market”. The offshore-based websites provide complete gambling services, and there is a large number of online casino sites which accept CO players. The trick is to find those reviewed sites that offer full security along with the entertaining gameplay. And Bovada is legal in Colorado and operates freely here.

Offline Gambling Opportunities

Land-based Casinos

Casinos are spread across 3 major cities, former mining locations, but soon-to-be bankrupt places. The 1990 initiative, when the gambling laws were first put in the discussion, was bound to lend a hand at helping to get them out of the slump. Nowadays, these towns add 38 venues to the list of casinos in Colorado. There is no denying that this measure did precisely what it was meant to do. The increase in tax revenues and the extra jobs managed to keep these towns above water.
Regarding the options of gambling in Denver, the city is situated at only one hour-drive until Black Hawk and its casinos. Basically, the eastern side of this state is covered in terms of gambling supply. For the western, less populated part of the Colorado state, there are only two tribal casinos to cover the demand. Otherwise, there’s a two-hour-drive, throughout the Rocky Mountains, for a chance to bet their luck. You also can see all the options.

Lottery

The CO state provides a classical state lottery, and it’s also involved in the interstate version of Mega Millions and Powerball.
Colorado’s state lottery also runs an oddball of a game, known as Infinite Luck, which is actually a flash game on the lottery’s website. This seems to be opening up the road to a possible state-owned website, with the option to gamble online in expectation.

Racetracks

The whole stage of gambling Colorado, wouldn’t have been complete without the mention of the racetracks. There are available two such establishments for greyhound racing and one for horse racing. For those unable or unwilling, to go directly to the races, there are plenty of locations for off-track betting, with simulcasting also available.

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FAQ
Is gambling legal in Colorado?

Some forms of gambling are allowed in this state. Even though a newcomer in this area, with the first gambling laws being available only since 1991, the stage for gaming in Colorado has constantly increased ever since, to the point of having 40 casinos statewide, 3 racetracks, state, and interstate lottery. The online is still neglected, not being a priority so far.

Are there casinos in Colorado?

Up to now, there are 40 casinos in the Colorado state, only two of which belong to Native Americans. The way they are disposed throughout the state is clearly unbalanced, with no more than 38 being on the eastern side, which coincidentally is the more populated part of the state.

Is online poker legal?

For the moment, playing online poker in Colorado, online casinos is not an option. There has been an attempt in 2013 for a bill regarding this particular subject to be passed, but it lacked the support, and it failed in the end.
However, for online poker enthusiasts, there is the possibility to use those websites that operate from across borders. There are plenty online casinos out there, the only concern being to choose the one that fits all criteria for the safety of personal data, the security of transactions, available options to deposit and withdraw money from the online account. The casinos presented on the list at the beginning have been thoroughly reviewed by specialists, checking all the above-mentioned points.

What is the legal gambling age in Colorado?

Concerning the Colorado gambling age, the lowest limit for bingo, race betting, and the lottery is of 18 years old. For playing in a casino, each willing player needs to be at least 21 years of age. Also, although this is an aspect not clearly regulated, it would be advised that when playing in online casinos based off-shore, to respect the same rule of having over 21 years.

Any future development for the online stage in Colorado?

The stage for online gambling in Colorado is already set with a couple of operators already putting in place the base of an online market:

  • Colorado online poker bills trying to be pushed through
  • DFS have become legal
  • Casinos have their own websites supplying free online slots
  • Even the lottery has Infinite Luck, a friendly version of an online wagering game

Surely that all these are hardly sufficient when it comes to the online gambling aspect. If this is the case, there always remains the option of turning to off-shore websites, which provide quality services in the wagering domain. The variety of options being high in this area, there are also plenty of fake websites. In order to protect yourself against any nuisances, only use the recommended sites from the list of online casino reviews.

Colorado sports betting is legal and live as of 2020.

There are a variety of legal sportsbook sites and apps where Coloradans can bet on sports already. The competitive market is creating explosive growth and a wealth of choices for bettors in the state.

Legal Colorado online sports betting

State regulators made legal Colorado sports betting available May 1, 2020.

There are already more than a dozen online betting sites and apps in Colorado, and more are on the way.

The May 1 launch allowed the new CO sports betting market an opportunity to get up to speed before the coveted start of NFL football and NCAA football wagering in September.

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There are a variety of sports betting sites already available for anyone wanting to bet in Colorado. Some are run by large companies with a presence in multiple states, while others are tied more to a local casino and exist only in Colorado.

Here is a look at what currently know about sports betting sites that are both live and on their way in the state, including the relationships between casinos and sportsbooks.

SportsbookCasinoDeveloperMobileLaunch Date
BetfredSaratoga CasinoPlaytechYesSept. 10
PointsBetDouble Eagle CasinoPointsBetYesNov. 18
Wynn Sports / BetAmerica / SmarketsBronco Billy’s CasinoMiomniTBDSept. 24 (retail)
FanDuel Golden Gates CasinoIGT/GANYesMay 1
DraftKingsGolden Gulch CasinoKambi/SB TechYesMay 1
FanDuel / DraftKingsGolden Mardi Gras Casino IGT/GAN, Kambi/SB TechYesTBD
SuperBookThe Lodge CasinoTBDYesTBD
Circa SportsCentury CasinosStadium TechnologyYesJuly 1
Bet365Century CasinosTBDYesTBD
William HillIsle CasinoWilliam HillYesSept. 9
William HillLady Luck CasinoWilliam HillYesSept. 9
ISI Race &
Sports
Wildwood CasinoAmelcoYesJuly 22
BetMonarchMonarch CasinoStadium TechnologyYesMay 11
TBDThe Brass Ass CasinoTBDTBDTBD
BetRiversJP McGill’s CasinoRush Street InteractiveYesMay 1
TBDDostal Alley SaloonTBDTBDTBD
BetMGM SportsbookMidnight Rose CasinoROAR DigitalYesMay 1
Barstool BetsAmeristar CasinoTBDTBDTBD
TBDBull Durham CasinoTBDTBDTBD
TBDRed Dolly CasinoTBDTBDTBD
TBDZ CasinoTBDTBDTBD
Wynn Sports / BetAmerica / SmarketsBronco Billy’s Christmas CasinoTBDTBDTBD
TBDEasy Street CasinoTBDTBDTBD
TBDSasquatch CasinoTBDTBDTBD
theScore BetThe Gilpin CasinoBet.WorksYesSept. 2
TBDThe Famous Bonanza CasinoTBDTBDTBD
TBDThe Wild Card SaloonTBDTBDTBD
TBDGrand Z Casino HotelTBDTBDTBD
TBDColorado Grande CasinoTBDTBDTBD
TBDJohnny Z’s CasinoTBDTBDTBD
TBDJohnny Nolon’s CasinoTBDTBDTBD
US BookmakingSky Ute CasinoTBDYesJune 10

Best Colorado sports betting apps

Apps are available throughout the state for betting on sports in Colorado. That means you can bet directly from your smartphone or tablet as long as you are physically located within Colorado. You do not need to be a state resident to bet on CO sportsbook apps.

The CO sports betting apps live today include:

  • Betfred
  • BetMonarch
  • BetWildwood
  • SportsBetting.com (Carousel Group)
  • Circa Sports
  • ELITE Sportsbook
  • PointsBet
  • SBK Sportsbook (Smarkets)
  • Sky Ute
  • theScore Bet
  • William Hill

These apps are next in line to launch in Colorado:

  • BetAmerica
  • Bet365
  • Digital Gaming Corporation
  • Internet Sports International
  • Penn Sports Interactive (likely to become Barstool Sportsbook)
  • SuperBook USA
  • Wynn Resorts

Your device will use geolocation technology to verify that you are within Colorado before allowing you to wager on any of these sportsbook apps.

Here’s a closer look at some of the biggest players in the market:

FanDuel Sportsbook

Is Gambling Illegal In Colorado

The current market leader in the US sports betting market, FanDuel is a popular choice with bettors in many states with legal online betting. That includes Colorado, where FanDuel is one of the top operators.

FanDuel leveraged its popular brand for daily fantasy sports and its acquisition by international gambling giant Flutter into a dominant position in the US.

New bettors at FanDuel get up to a $1,000 risk-free bet with a first deposit.

DraftKings Sportsbook

Generally the No. 2 operator throughout the US, DraftKings is another company that leveraged success in daily fantasy sports into a solid position in US sports betting.

New bettors at DraftKings get $25 free with no deposit, and up to a $1,000 deposit bonus with an initial deposit.

Legal

BetMGM

The betting option from MGM Resorts International, BetMGM has started getting serious about gaining marketshare in the US, including in states like Colorado where it doesn’t have a physical casino.

With a long-established presence in Las Vegas, a well-known brand and with a partnership with a longtime partner in European online gambling, MGM believes it has the recipe for success in the US.

New bettors at BetMGM get a 100% deposit match up to $500.

PointsBet

An upstart company from Australia, PointsBet has aggressively tried to establish its brand in the US. It’s even put its US headquarters in Colorado and partnered with Colorado teams, showing how important the state is to its overall plans.

New bettors get up to $250 in free bets on a first deposit.

William Hill

A European bookmaker with a huge presence in Nevada for years, William Hill is attempting to make in-roads across the US. After being taken over by Caesars Entertainment, that dream could become more of a reality.

New bettors get up to a $500 free bet with a first deposit.

Fox Bet

Another brand under the Flutter umbrella alongside FanDuel, Fox Bet tries to leverage the brand recognition of the eponymous Fox Sports, which has a major presence in American sports media. So far, that hasn’t translated into major marketshare, but it’s among the second tier of operators behind DraftKings and FanDuel.

Latest CO sports betting news

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Billed from the start as one of the great experiments in early US sports betting, Colorado hit another new high in January. Mile High bettors wagered $326.9 million, according to a Colorado Division of Gaming report released Thursday. It’s the ninth consecutive month CO sports betting operators took record handle. Gross sports betting revenue also set a […] Read More