Colorado online casinos are not legal as of yet, but that could change. After all, the state’s gambling market has grown considerably over the past few years.
Fans of online casino games in Colorado have another option – sweepstakes gambling sites. These sites have slots and (limited) casino games. You can play for ‘Sweeps Coins’ instead of dollars, meaning the games are considered sweepstakes contests in the eyes of the law. Those Sweeps Coins can be exchanged for dollars if you win.
We’ll keep you updated on the status of online casinos in Colorado, including any legislation that could expand the industry and provide more in-state gambling options. Colorado residents who want a full in-person casino experience can get one at any of the 41 Colorado casinos in Black Hawk, Cripple Creek or Central City.
Best Colorado online casino alternatives
of Gold Coins for $10
Could Colorado online casinos be legalized?
It’s unlikely we’ll see legal online casinos in Colorado anytime soon. Legalizing Colorado online casinos would require new legislation drafted and approved in Denver. These are already allowed in other states, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan and West Virginia.
With the recent expansion of Colorado online gambling, however, it’s certainly possible. Tax revenues from sports betting could potentially lead to a further expansion – which would pave the way for future legislation covering online casinos and poker rooms.
In the meantime, there are legal options for fans of online casinos. Colorado social casinos operate with a model that keeps them legal under existing sweepstakes contest laws. While their range of games and slots is limited, these are high quality. You can use Sweeps Coins to play, and if you win (including progressive jackpots), you can redeem the Sweeps Coins for cash prizes.
Introducing Colorado sweepstakes casinos
CO sweepstakes casinos turn slots and casino table games into mini sweepstakes contests. From players’ perspective, the spin of a slot or shuffle of cards looks exactly the same as you’d find in any casino.
To make this model legal, the sites must comply with the following statement:
There needs to be some way to let players enter the contests without needing to make a purchase. The casinos give you free sweeps coins if you send them a letter or in some cases, award you with free sweeps just for logging in.
This sounds complex, although the model is simple when you strip away the terms. You buy Gold Coins, get Sweeps Coins for free, and then use those Sweeps Coins to enter contests (casino games). If you win, then you can redeem Sweeps Coins for cash prizes.
There are two major brands offering sweepstakes / social casino experiences in Colorado:
Chumba
LuckyLand
What to expect from Colorado online casinos
By looking at how things work in states with legal online casinos, we can get a good idea of how future online casinos in Colorado might look.
With so many potential CO online casinos, competition would be fierce. This would be a boost for players – who would be able to take advantage of many different bonus offers and promotions.
In regulated states, casinos offer a mix of no-deposit free play, and matched deposit bonuses on your first deposits. You’ll also find loyalty rewards and regular promotions on offer. By signing up with several different brands, players can make sure they are always clearing one bonus or another while enjoying their favorite slots and table games online.
What Colorado online casino apps could be coming?
There are more than 30 casinos in Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek. If CO followed other states, these venues would all be able to apply for licenses to operate online casinos. In the regulated states, the pattern is that local casinos partner with the big online casino brands.
These Colorado online casinos would then appear as 888 Casino, Bet365 Casino, Unibet Casino, BetMGM CO online casino, Caesars Palace CO, DraftKings Casino CO, FanDuel Casino CO, and so on. The ties with the brick-and-mortar venue go beyond the license. Players can make deposits at the cage of the linked live casino (as well as depositing directly through the apps or casino websites).
Some brands will have a single wallet for Colorado sports betting and casino games (and Colorado poker, where this is also available). Others will treat their casinos separately.
What games may be available at online casinos in Colorado?
Colorado online casinos will likely reflect offerings you’d find at brick-and-mortar casinos in the state. You’ll be able to find a wide variety of games, including the following:
- Slots, including ones with different titles, bonuses and minigames
- Live dealer table games, such as blackjack, craps and roulette
- Virtual games involving horses, soccer and auto racing
- Keno, bingo and scratch cards
- Novelty titles, some based on TV shows
Live casinos in Colorado
Casinos in Colorado have been legal since 1991. These are located in 3 places, namely Black Hawk, Cripple Creek and Central City. There are also tribal casinos in Colorado, at Ute Mountain. This setup is different from many other states. Instead of a smaller number of large ‘resort’ type venues, Colorado has many smaller casinos – many with a rich history going all the way back to the days of pioneers.
Here are the casinos you’ll find, grouped into the 3 areas:
- Ameristar Casino
- Bill Durham Saloon and Casino
- Bullpen Casino
- Bullwhacker’s Black Hawk Canyon and Grand Plateau Casino
- Colorado Central Station Casino
- Dan Cooper’s Eureka! Casino
- The Gilpin Casino
- Golden Gates Casino
- Golden Gulch Casino
- Mardi Gras Casino
- Isle of Capri Hotel and Casino
- The Lodge Casino
- Red Dolly Casino
- The Richman Wild Card Saloon and Casino
- Riviera Black Hawk Casino
- Saratoga Casino
- Silver Hawk Saloon and Casino
- Black Diamond Casino and Saloon
- Brass Ass Casino
- Bronco Billy’s Casino
- Colorado Grande Casino
- Creeker’s Gaming Hall
- Double Eagle Hotel and Casino
- Gold Creek Casino
- Gold Diggers Casino
- Gold Rush Hotel and Casino
- Imperial Casino
- J.P. McGills Hotel and Casino
- Johnny Nolon’s Casino
- Midnight Rose Hotel and Casino
- Uncle Sam’s Casino
- Wild Horse Casino
- Womacks Casino and Hotel
- Century Casino
- Doc Holliday Casino
- Dostal Alley Brewpub and Casino
- Easy Street Casino
- Famous Bonanza
- Reserve Casino Hotel
- Scarlet’s Casino
- Teller House
Wrapping up: Colorado online casinos and sweepstakes casinos
Eventually, online casinos in Colorado could bolster the state’s growing gambling industry. With plenty of retail casino and online sports betting options, precedent exists for the Centennial State to take the next step and bring online casino games to computers, tablets and smartphones.
There’s no timetable for the legalization of Colorado online casinos at this point. For now, the best options for Colorado residents looking for online casino games are sweeps casinos, such as Chumba and LuckyLand.