Bally’s Black Hawk West Casino Review
Bally’s Black Hawk West is one of 18 gaming houses in Black Hawk’s historic casino district.
It’s one of three Bally’s Corporation casinos in Black Hawk, along with Bally’s Black Hawk North and Bally’s Black Hawk East. The sister casinos are located within walking distance of one another along the historic mining town’s half-mile gambling strip. In fact, West and North are attached to one another via an enclosed skyway bridge.
The three neighboring locations feature a combined 36,000 square feet of gaming space, four bars and three restaurants. Between the three, patrons can enjoy 33 live-action tables and over 650 slot machines.
Bally’s Black Hawk West Casino
• Address: 261 Main St., Black Hawk, CO
• Owner / Operator: Bally’s
• Hours: 24 hours / 7 days a week
• Casino games: approximately 650 slots, blackjack, craps, roulette, video poker
• Sportsbook: DraftKings Sportsbook (located in Bally’s Black Hawk North)
• Poker: Poker room with 17 poker tables
of Gold Coins for $10
Bally’s Black Hawk West Casino floor
All the Bally’s Black Hawk casinos boast more than 650 of the most popular video poker and slot machines in the city as well as a nice range of table games to choose from. Options range from penny bets up to $25 machines in the high-limit area.
Colorado maintains restrictions on what table games casinos are allowed to offer. Still, Black Hawk West and its sister casinos have made do, offering 33 live-action tables that include craps, blackjack, roulette and several poker-based games.
Bally’s Black Hawk West poker room
Bally’s Black Hawk West is best known for its lively poker scene. The casino’s state-of-the-art Poker Parlour features 17 tables offering games like Omaha and Hold’em.
Although the poker room is the largest in Black Hawk, it also reserves a five-table overflow room to accommodate customers during tournaments. It offers several options for poker enthusiasts. Casino goers may compete for cash and other prizes in daily tournaments or in cash games.
The Poker Parlour hosts poker tournaments on a regular basis and is home to the esteemed Colorado Poker Championship, which is a tournament that features a $500,000 prize pool.
Bally’s Black Hawk West also brings popular poker tours to its facility, including the Heartland Poker Tour and the Mid-States Poker Tour. These events have resulted in tens of millions of dollars being awarded to participants.
Bally’s Black Hawk West rakeback program
Golden Gates Casino also offers poker players the chance to earn cash through gameplay. The rakeback program determines rewards based on hours of gameplay per week.
- 20 hours per week: $100 in cash
- 30 hours per week: $150 in cash
- 40 hours per week: $200 in cash
Poker players must cash out before the end of the following week or earning will be forfeited.
Bally’s Black Hawk West eateries and bars
Full House Café is conveniently located on the first floor, right next to the gambling action. The café offers a modern selection of salads, burgers, wings and nachos.
Customers can also quench their thirst at the Gold Bar, which is located on the first floor of Bally’s Black Hawk West. The Gold Bar features a large selection of wine, draft beers and cocktails. The casino’s staff offers casino customers an enriched experience by providing machine-side and table-side cocktail services. Customers can also enjoy watching their favorite sports team on one of the many TV’s surrounding the Gold Bar.
History of Golden Gates Casino
When Colorado legalized casino gambling in 1991, Golden Gates Casino was one of the first gambling establishments to lay down its roots in Black Hawk. After its opening, the casino quickly established itself as a local watering hole by regularly offering live music and exciting poker tournaments.
Since its opening, Golden Gates has changed hands a few times. Before Twin River Holdings, Golden Gaming ran the three Black Hawk sister properties between 2005 and 2011. Affinity Gaming took over the trio in 2012, and the three casinos changed hands again just this year.
In January 2020, Twin River Worldwide Holdings Inc. purchased the trio of casinos with a hefty price tag of $51 million. In addition to the hotels, restaurants and gaming floors, Twin Rivers received the rights to three Colorado sports betting licenses in the acquisition.