Colorado Online Casinos

Colorado Online Casinos

Regulation and legality of online gambling

The Colorado Department of Revenue relies heavily on the Interstate Wire Act and the UIGEA bill; it claims, on its official website, that ‘internet gambling is illegal under state and federal laws’. However, there’s no mention of any type of prohibition against online gambling anywhere in Colorado statutes or penal code.

Some of the owners of Colorado’s most successful land-based casinos have stated in the past few years that they have been closely monitoring internet gambling legislation developments in other states. So far, there has been no action.

The legislators also see a challenge in the act of introducing online gambling into the Colorado market, mostly because of the uncertainty about what kind of impact such ventures might have on land-based revenue. According to some preliminary estimation, the online revenue would not jeopardize profits from brick and mortar casinos in the Rocky Mountain State.

In a legal sense, online gambling doesn’t exist in the state of Colorado. This pertains to casino games, as sports betting was introduced in 2020. The decision was backed by a state referendum, where voters voted largely in favor of bringing sportsbooks to Colorado.

Lottery games also exist in an online form, with Powerball, Colorado Lotto+, and other brands all being available on multiple platforms.

The last attempt at getting the legal online gambling snowball rolling was an online poker bill that didn’t even survive to see the first round of voting.

Fantasy sports are also legal, with legislators introducing DFS in 2016. Interestingly, sites with less than 7,500 users can operate without a license from the state.

In Colorado, the same rule of thumb applies as in many other US states - as long as you’re placing online wagers at offshore websites, you are not breaking any laws in your state, or federal laws for that matter. This puts Colorado players in the same position as players from Texas, Arizona or California. Bettors are free to join sites that accept members from the United States and accept deposits in US Dollars. For extra safety, these venues need to be licensed within a reliable jurisdiction, they need to provide efficient payment methods and they should take too long with the payouts.

Gambling history in Colorado

The passionate search for wealth led many gold miners across Colorado plains. They made their stops in numerous casinos that hoped to grab a share of what gold these prospectors may have found. The Puritans judged gambling and the laws fluctuated for decades to come. Legalized gambling got more and more support as once proud cities such as Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek began to suffer after the end of the Gold Rush.

The State government passed a law that allowed casino establishments in these cities at which point their economy recovered. The first gambling bill was passed in 1991, slowing slots, card games and video poker machines. By 2008 Coloradans passed new legislation that allowed more Vegas-style table games, like craps. At first, the betting limits were just $5. In 2009, the government allowed for higher limits up to $100.

Land based casinos

The existing Colorado gambling laws permit two ways that casino gambling can be permitted within the state: Native American casinos and casino localities designated by the state government, such as Blackhawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek. Tribal casinos are run by the Ute Tribe, and are located in Towaoc and Ignacio. There are more than a dozen casino venues in the towns of Blackhawk and Cripple Creek. Central City houses 7 gambling facilities.

Most slot machines in Colorado casinos are manufactured by IGT, Bally or Aristocrat. Most venues also offer plenty of video poker machines, live blackjack and poker tables. Notable establishments are Ameristar Hotel & Casino, Isle of Capri, Lady Luck and The Lodge Casino & Resort in Blackhawk, Century Casino, Fortune Valley Hotel & Casino and Johnny Z's in Central City and Double Eagle Hotel & Casino and Wildwood Casino in Cripple Creek. Ameristar Casino boasts over 1,250 slots, 40 table games and nearly two dozen poker tables. Isle of Capri offers more than a thousand slot machines, 25 table games and 9 poker tables.

Although locals don’t hesitate to visit the casino venues in the Centennial State, they have their revenues increased each year by tourists who come to ski the majestic slopes of the Rockies.

Neighbouring States: Arizona, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming

Top Colorado Casino Slots and Games

References

[1] Colorado Division of Gaming

[2] Colorado Division of Racing Events

[3] Colorado Lottery

[4] Online gambling - are players at risk of prosecution?

[5] American Gaming Association - https://www.americangaming.org