Legal sports betting in the state of Colorado is still set to begin on May 1 despite the coronavirus pandemic closing businesses across the US.
From partnerships to master licenses, casinos want to ensure they at least have that under control and are ready for prospective bettors.
The Wildwood Casino in Cripple Creek announced Monday that it has entered into a definitive agreement with ISI Race & Sports (ISI) to provide hardware, software and marketing services for their upcoming legal sports betting offering according to a press release from the casino.
Final licensing approval for ISI from the Colorado Division of Gaming is pending.
First Colorado casino to partner with ISI
With legal sports betting in Colorado set to start soon, more and more partnerships are being formed.
The Wildwood becomes the seventh Cripple Creek casino to either get a master license and/or partnership. It’s also the first Colorado casino to partner with ISI.
“Wildwood has become the market leader for casinos in Cripple Creek and we wanted a partner who could help us achieve the same status for retail and online sports betting,” Joseph J. Canfora, CEO of AGG the operator of the Wildwood, said in the release. “We are able to combine our extensive knowledge of the local Colorado market with ISI’s 20 years offering sports betting services and the Amelco betting platform and native mobile apps to create a winning experience for our customers.”
Wildwood an established brand in Colorado
The Wildwood Casino opened in 2008 and is the newest full-service casino property in the Cripple Creek market. The property features over 500 slot machines, 14 table games and is currently in the process of building a 102-room hotel that is slated to open by the end of 2020, per the release. Its gaming floor is the largest in the former gold mining camp, which is located 44 miles southwest of Colorado Springs, near the base of Pikes Peak.
Located at an elevation of 9,494 feet, Wildwood boasts of offering Las Vegas-style gaming at “the highest casino in the world.” Members of its Players Club loyalty scheme can earn points while playing and get access to special members-only benefits. It offers slot tournaments on select Sundays, when open to the public.
Gamers don’t have to go far when it’s time to eat. Both Joe’s Diner and Woody’s Sports Bar & Grill are nestled inside the casino and offer a variety of dining options such as breakfast specials, burgers, appetizers, salad bar, super-stuffed sandwiches and a prime rib dinner on Friday through Sunday.
Additional information can be found at www.wildwoodcasino.net.
“We are very excited about the opportunity to help bring sports betting to Colorado,” Bill Stearns, President of ISI, said in the release. “We’ve been doing this for more than 20 years and have developed best practices that help our partners get out of the gate early and maintain their lead in sports betting.”
ISI highly regarded in sports betting circles
ISI has been active in the sports betting industry since 1999 and became active in risk management and turnkey operations for sportsbooks in 2005. ISI has helped develop some of the industry’s leading kiosk solutions, including those used by William Hill in Nevada and the new Crystal Betting Terminal being launched by IGT.
Its betting platform and native mobile apps are provided by Amelco, the leading supplier of bespoke trading and sportsbook solutions for the industry’s multi-territory tier-one operators, including Flutter, GVC and Stars Group, per the release.
Headquartered in the city of London, Amelco utilizes the best technical talent available to supply some of the most cutting edge modular and end-to-end solutions ever seen in the industry, according to the release.
Despite being shuttered until at least April 11 following a mandatory stay-at-home order from Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, casinos in the Centennial State are still pushing forward with partnerships and master license applications so they can offer sports betting when it becomes legal on May 1.
But with so much up in the air right now, even that date isn’t written in stone.
