Legal online gambling is thriving in Colorado.
Residents can bet on sports online anywhere in the state, and Colorado Lottery ticket sales are brisk. And while online casinos still await legalization in the Centennial State, there’s an abundance of gambling action to be found at retail casinos in the mountain towns of Cripple Creek, Black Hawk and Central City.
With multiple Colorado casinos also featuring sportsbooks, there is plenty of competition between the apps. A little rivalry is great for sports bettors, who are able to take advantage of competing promo bonuses and odds.
| CO Sportsbook | Bonus | Play Now! |
|---|---|---|
| DraftKings Sportsbook | $1,250 | Play Now! |
| Caesars Sportsbook | $1,250 | Play Now! |
| BetMGM Sportsbook | $1,000 | Play Now! |
| BetRivers Sportsbook | $500 | Play Now! |
| Betfred Sportsbook | $1,111 | Play Now! |
| FanDuel Sportsbook | $1,000 | Play Now! |
| Bet365 | Bet $1, Get $365 | Play Now! |
| SI Sportsbook | Bet $20, Get $200 | Play Now! |
| MaximBet Sportsbook | $1,000 | Play Now! |
Sports betting has been legal in Colorado for a few years now, when several online sportsbooks started taking wagers on May 1, 2020.
The Colorado state legislature initially approved a sports betting bill in the spring of 2019 and Colorado voters made legal sports wagering a reality in November of 2019.
There are now 26 online sportsbooks operating in the state, with 17 other options at retail casinos as well.
Online lottery play is not offered inside Colorado. Though the Colorado Lottery does maintain a mobile app, the software only serves as an informational tool.
It is possible to purchase tickets for drawings in advance, using the state’s Advance Play option for Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto, and Cash 5. However, these purchases must occur through lottery terminals at retail lottery vendors.
Colorado is one of a growing number of states to have fully legalized daily fantasy sports play. In fact, it was the fifth state to do so, approving legislation back in 2016.
The legal situation is unusually generous to smaller-sized operators who would like to offer DFS play. The law only requires sites with greater than 7,500 users to apply for licenses; every other site can simply get started.
Nevertheless, every major DFS site is active in Colorado.
Colorado does allow online horse betting. Coloradans are eligible for accounts at major sites like TVG.
Colorado is also home to one live racing venue, Arapahoe Park, which offers both live and simulcast wagering. Players in the state can also take advantage of 12 off-track betting parlors throughout the state.
Colorado is home to more than 40 casinos with the majority of them being in Cripple Creek or Black Hawk.
Online casinos remain prohibited in Colorado. Colorado residents and visitors who wish to play casino games can do so at sweepstakes casinos like Chumba Casino or Luckyland Slots.
Both sites use a sweepstakes model that allows them to offer their games. It is not necessary to purchase in order to win on these sites.
There are currently four poker rooms in Colorado, which you can find in Colorado Springs, Denver & Black Hawk, and Greater Colorado.
Online poker in Colorado is in the same category as online casinos. For right now, there aren’t any legal options in the state outside of sweepstakes sites, like Global Poker.
Unfortunately, that situation is unlikely to change anytime soon, as Colorado has proved hesitant to move forward on online gaming expansions.
No. There aren’t any legal online casinos available in Colorado.
Any online casinos that you may find through web searches are offshore websites.
These sites are not legal under Colorado or US law.
They are problematic for American players because they can be untrustworthy. Worse, if there’s ever a dispute, US bettors would have limited legal options to pursue.
The only types of legal online gambling active in Colorado are sports betting, horse betting and daily fantasy sports.
Yes. By virtue of the passage of Proposition DD in 2019, sports betting became legal in Colorado. Online sports gambling launched in the state in May 2020.
There are currently 26 sports betting apps and 17 retail sportsbooks in the state.
No. Colorado has been quite resistant to online casinos in the past, and the appearance of sports betting does not mean online casinos are coming to the state. There is a chance that changes in the future, but it’s not on the radar.
The legal gambling age in Colorado is 21. It’s the same for sports betting.
No. Visitors to Colorado can wager at online sportsbooks.
The only requirement is that you have to be inside the state’s borders in order to place a bet. The sportsbooks employ geolocation software to ensure that every player on the app is within Colorado. And, of course, you must be 21.
Colorado’s 30+ casinos are primarily located in one of three mountain towns. The vast majority of facilities are either in Black Hawk, Central City, or Cripple Creek.
Black Hawk and Central City are neighboring cities and located west of Denver. Cripple Creek is farther south, west of Colorado Springs.
Finally, there are two tribal casinos that are in the southwestern corner of Colorado. Both the Sky Ute Casino Resort and Ute Mountain Casino Hotel are clustered around Durango and are a stone’s throw from the borders of New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona.
Though online sports betting has not gotten underway in Colorado yet, the procedure for getting started on the apps is likely to be the same as in other locales. So, here’s what to do once that first app launches.
First, it’s important to understand that sportsbook sites tend to present three different versions of themselves to the public. In most cases, they will have dedicated apps for both major platforms and a browser version.
Apple devices use the iOS platform, and most sportsbooks have an iOS-specific app. Players who wish to play on these apps need only find them in the App Store and download them, just like any other app.
The only thing that might trip some people up is the fact that, due to various regulations, a site might have several state-specific versions of their app. So, Coloradans need to be sure that the app they are downloading specifically mentions its compatibility with Colorado.
Android users will only have to visit the sportsbook’s website in order to initiate the download. However, they will need to set their phones to allow downloads from other sources.
The site itself will detect both your location and the type of device you’re using. Then, it will most likely auto-optimize to fit your screen best.
Once the app is accessed, the next step will be to fund the account. After all, there can’t be any wagering if there isn’t any money involved.
Thankfully, most gambling sites maintain several different methods for depositing into the site. Usually, there will be at least one transaction method that will work for each player.
Some of those transaction methods include:
The most important thing is to use a method that is most comfortable to you. Figure out which method is easiest to serve your money needs.
Please make sure to look for any fees that these methods may have. Fees can attach for both deposits and withdrawals, and can be present at both the sportsbook and your financial institution. Check with both sides of the transaction carefully before proceeding.
Online sportsbooks have also expanded upon the different types of betting that sports bettors can use. At this point, there is very little reason to expect that a player could not find action on any type of bet he or she can imagine.
So, all the bets typically found in live sportsbooks are available online. Point spreads, moneylines, totals (over/unders), futures, and propositions are all part of the normal sportsbook offering.
There are even ways to make parlay bets online. These bet might be as advertised, or come with a teaser or pleaser rate in order to increase the player’s chances of winning or payout, respectively.
However, the area where online sportsbooks have taken flight is through live betting. Live betting allows players to make wagers on events during games in progress.
This type of wager greatly expands the number of bets that a single game may hold. It’s not uncommon for there to be over 100 bets on a single match.
Some states have chosen to limit live betting in various ways. Colorado’s regulators will have that choice in front of them. Only time will tell how it will all shake out.
