Colorado is one of the most progressive states in the U.S. when it comes to legal online sports betting—but when it comes to online casinos, it’s still playing catch-up. Since 2020, residents have been able to legally place bets on sports through a wide range of trusted apps and sportsbook sites like BetMGM, DraftKings, Bet365, and FanDuel.
However, online casino gambling remains illegal in the Centennial State. While there’s no clear timeline for change, many believe it’s only a matter of time before the state expands its regulated online gambling market to include casino games. In this guide, we cover everything you need to know about Colorado’s online gambling laws, the best sports betting apps, casino options (land-based and sweepstakes), and what might be coming next.
Colorado Legal Online Gambling
In some manners, Colorado is right on the cutting edge of the online gambling scene in the USA. Then again, in other ways, the Rocky Mountain State is way behind the curve.
You can bet on sports at both retail brick and mortar shops, as well as online and via betting apps in Colorado. However, casino gamblers remain limited to land-based sites to play slots and table games.
There is also the lottery, horse racing, bingo, daily fantasy sports and social casinos available to Colorado bettors.
| Online casino | Not legal |
| Sports betting | Legal |
| Horse racing online betting | Legal |
| Poker | Not legal |
The Centennial State is an ideal destination for those gamblers who like choice when it comes to their online sports betting habits, Colorado offering an extensive range of sportsbook apps for bettors.
Sports betting went live in Colorado in May 2020, with a mixture of online and offline options now available; many of the land-based casinos in the state opening sportsbooks in partnership with some of the biggest names in sports betting, including BetRivers, BetFred, betMGM and Caesars. Along with betting, horse race gambling is available and the state lottery.
With dozens of gambling sites to choose from, there are various incentives on offer, such as free bets and matching initial account deposits. So long as you’re 21 or over, you can simply download your app of choice, register, make a deposit and start making your bets.
There are no online casino sites available to residents of Colorado. However, the Colorado online sports betting sites available include some of the industry’s biggest names. We can see established brands like BetRivers, Bet365, and Caesars Palace Casino. Most of these operators also have online casinos – at the moment, however, it is a question of waiting to see what happens next and whether casino games in Colorado will be introduced.
Colorado’s Best Gambling Sites
On May 1, 2020, sports betting was launched in the state of Colorado. Currently, there are 21 sports betting sites in the state at which you can place bets online or via a mobile app. That list includes Bally Bet, Bet365, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars, Circa Sports, DraftKings, FanDuel, ESPN Bet, Fanatics Sportsbook, Sporttrade Colorado and Betsafe.
Here’s a look at some of the top sports betting sites in the state.
BetRivers Colorado They’ll give you a second chance bet of up to $250 should your first bet fail to come in when you’re a new customer at BetRivers. You’ll find daily house specials promotions, a designated prop bets area and a live streaming icon. You’ll also be welcomed into the highly-regarded iRush loyalty rewards program.
DraftKings: DraftKings was among the first sportsbooks to launch in Colorado when they went live on July 10, 2020. People love the simplicity of the DraftKings site, which is so easy to navigate. It’s all part of the DraftKings mandate to cater to the casual player and those new to sports betting. There’s little not to like about DraftKings. Their app is outstanding, they are rich in betting markets and bet types, offer competitive odds that are posted quickly and there are plenty of ongoing promotions.
Bet365 Colorado: A massive presence in Europe and Asia, Bet365 has taken a measured approach to entering the US market. However, Colorado was among the first states in which Bet365 opted to launch. Bet365 is known for being on the cutting edge of such developments in the industry as live streaming of events and live in-play wagering. The number of markets and bet types they offer to players are second to none.
BetMGM: Billed as the king of US sportsbooks, BetMGM strives to live up to that reputation. A giant in the gambling industry for decades, BetMGM entered the Colorado online market in 2021. Offering a welcome bonus worth up to $1000 and competitive odds that are better than the majority of sites, as well as a site that is easy to navigate and is complete with a sleek mobile app, BetMGM delivers the goods to Colorado players.
Colorado Online Casinos
There’s no online or mobile casinos operating in the state of Colorado. In many other states where this is the case, state politicians are busily trying to change this situation. However, in Colorado, there simply does currently seem to be any appetite to bring about the advent of online casino gambling.
As far as land-based casinos, there are more than 40 options in the state, the majority of which are located in three cities – Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek. There are also a couple of smaller casinos situated on tribal lands in the southwest corner of Colorado.
A change in the Colorado casino laws removing a $100 limit on betting has led to an uptick in state casino revenue.
View legal sites with US online casinos, visit our guides to New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia. Check out the latest casino offers here.
Online Real Money Games
As online casinos aren’t yet legal in the state, there are no online casino games in Colorado available to play. You will find that there are many different games you can look forward to playing at an online casino in Colorado, however. Casinos in other states typically range from the latest slots on diverse themes to classic table games.
Popular slots include Age of the Gods, Starburst, and Buffalo Blitz. An interesting way of playing roulette, blackjack, and other games is through live dealer versions, which may become available, law depending.
Based on the current laws in Colorado and sports betting operators already live in the state, BetMGM, Caesars are among the first casinos expected to go live in the state.
Colorado Legal Casino Apps
There are no casino apps available to download in Colorado, though sports betting apps are available. These will let you bet directly with available Colorado online casino sites. These apps are free to download and can be added to any Android or Apple device.
Among the operators that are licensed for sports betting here, and may launch online casinos in Colorado, the following have mobile apps:
- BetRivers (sports betting only)
- William Hill (sports betting only)
- BetMGM (sports betting only)
Check out top legal casino apps for US here.
Top Land-based Casinos in Colorado
There are some excellent land-based casinos in the state, including:
- The Colorado Grande Casino – based in Cripple Creek, and has a hotel upstairs from the gaming floor.
- Ameristar Black Hawk – offers spa facilities and a business center, as well as various dining areas.
- The Century Casino – also in Black Hawk. It has modern rooms with great mountain views in a central location.
Expect to pick up a cash bonus or some other sort of welcome package when you join an online casino in Colorado for sports betting. The exact details will vary from site to site, but you can normally expect a boost on your first deposit amount and sometimes a bunch of free spins too.
At the moment, the lack of regulated online casinos in Colorado means that there are no specific bonus offers for you to accept. Expect this to be something that is offered in the future, if the state agrees to let online casinos operate here.
Colorado Online Casinos ↗
Online casinos are outlawed with only social casino play legally available online – playing for fun or prizes rather than money – but there are a number of land-based venues that offer slots and a variety of table games.
Most expected online casinos to go live in Colorado:
Poker Online in Colorado ↗
Online poker is illegal, but tribal casinos offer a variety of poker games. Like many states, offshore sportsbooks offering online poker accept players from the state but the advice is not to sign up, with players using the sites without any consumer protection.
Lotteries online ↗
The state lottery has been running since 1983 but whereas online sports betting is widely available, there are no online facilities to purchase lottery tickets – there are retail facilities across the state selling tickets.
Colorado Sweepstakes Casinos
There is the option to play slots and table games online in Colorado via sweepstakes casinos. While the games are the same, you aren’t wagering any real money at a sweepstakes casino. You’re either playing with gold coins for fun, or with sweeps coins to pursue prizes winnings such as gift cards. You can purchase gold coins if you so desire, but there are also many methods to acquire them for free.
Here’s a look at some of the more popular sweepstakes casinos available to play in Colorado.
BetRivers.net: Also owned and operated by Rush Street Interactive, the same company that runs the BetRivers online sportsbook in Colorado, the difference here is that you aren’t betting with real money when you play slots and table games at BetRivers.net. You can bet virtually on sports or play casino games at BetRivers.net, which exists solely as a mobile app.
McLuck Casino: With more than 500 games to play and a seamless mobile app experience, the McLuck Casino offers an impressive option to Colorado players. There’s also a generous welcome offer to new players of 57,500 gold coins and 27.5 sweepstakes coins.
WOW Vegas Casino: Delivering a spectacular welcome bonus of 1.5 Million WOW Coins along with 35 Sweepstakes Coins for free, the WOW Vegas Casino gets Colorado players off to a fantastic start. Their site is very mobile friendly, features in excess of 800 games and provides a wide range of promotional offers.
Colorado Online Gambling FAQs
At the time of writing, no legislation has been agreed to allow these sites to seek licenses in Colorado. Therefore, no casino operator can run a site in the state.
Yes, the sports betting market is fully regulated in the state, with some of the biggest names in the industry operating sites here.
Legislation may be agreed for online casino sites at some point in the future, but there is no official word on when this might happen, if at all.
In terms of land-based casinos in Colorado, the legal age for entering is 21. However, bingo and lottery games can be enjoyed from the age of 18 onwards. We will need to wait to see whether any future Colorado online casino legislation mentions 18 or 21 as the limit.
Any win that you collect in an online casino in Colorado, or on other forms of gambling, needs to be classed as taxable income. Therefore, you will want to declare it to the IRS on your annual return.
DFS events were made legal in Colorado in 2016, with state entries allowed in tournaments operated by the likes of DraftKings and FanDuel.
There is one horse race track in the state with Arapahoe Park offering summer race meetings. Bettors can gamble at the track or at a small number of off-track sites, along with using advance-deposit wagering sites like AmWager, TVG and Twinspires.
