Despite launching its first online sportsbooks during a pandemic, Colorado has quickly become one of the most prominent and most promising betting markets in the United States. In May 2020, the Centennial State joined 18 others when it officially opened its virtual doors to the world of sports betting.
Just over a year later, Colorado is now home to 22 online sportsbooks and 17 brick-and-mortar locations.
Bookmark this page to stay up to date with all the latest in Colorado sports betting.
Population: 5.7 million
Legal age for sports betting: 21
Online sports betting: Yes
Retail sportsbooks: Yes
Sports betting revenue: $1.19 billion
Yes, sports betting is legal in Colorado. Proposition DD, the Legalize Sports Betting With Tax Revenue for Water Projects Measure, was approved in November 2019.
Anyone 21-years of age and over and located in the state may place a sports bet in Colorado. Players can visit a physical sportsbook or use a computer or mobile device to wager online.
Here’s everything you need to know before placing your first sports bet in Colorado.
Legal ageYou must be at least 21 years old to place a legal sports bet in Colorado.
Mobile bettingColorado sports wagers can be placed with legal online sports betting websites or apps via a computer or mobile device. The Colorado Division of Gaming oversees all sports betting in the Centennial State.
Remote registrationRemote registration allows both Colorado’s residents and visitors to sign up and start betting online without having to verify their identity at a retail sportsbook. This is of major significance in Colorado as players would otherwise be required to visit a licensed casino — none of which are located in the more populous areas of Colorado.
Within state bordersOnline sportsbooks use geolocation technology to confirm the exact locations of their users. So as long as you can prove you’re in Colorado, you’ll be able to partake in all legal sports betting activity online.
Retail sportsbooksThere are currently 17 retail sportsbooks in Colorado, but any of the state’s 40 casinos can apply for a Master Sports Betting License. Brick-and-mortar sportsbooks in Black Hawk, Century City, and Cripple Creek comprise the available locations.
Taxable winningsColorado sports bet winnings are taxed at both the federal and state level. All gambling profits are subject to a state income tax of 4.63% in Colorado.
Our unbiased sportsbook reviews cover all the pertinent information needed to ensure that you're wagering at safe and legitimate betting sites. In addition, our experts have identified several Colorado sports betting sites that offer the top features, bonuses, and the most comprehensive list of sports and bet types available to CO residents.
The user-friendly BetRivers mobile app is available to download free on iOS and Android devices. It offers competitive bonuses which are less restrictive than others since they only carry a one-time rollover requirement.
Buoyed a strong live betting section, the mobile-only theScore Bet app is compatible with iOS and Android devices. Its sleek and easy-to-navigate app houses both media and betting businesses under one roof.
Among the highlights, the PointsBet sportsbook doesn’t have any playthrough requirements for free bets, making them much more profitable. The operator offers its players a unique form of betting, known as points betting, where users can take big risks for big payouts.
Fully remote registration is a massive win for Colorado sports bettors. With nearly all of the state’s casinos situated in three sparsely populated rural areas, accessibility could have been a significant hurdle otherwise.
There’s not much to gripe about when comparing Colorado’s sports betting laws to those of other states. The absence of college prop bets is the only real significant betting opportunity omitted from Colorado law.
With remote registration and online betting, it’s easy to get started with sports wagering in the Centennial State. Alternatively, Coloradans may visit a brick-and-mortar sportsbook in a state-licensed casino if physical bets are preferred.
Colorado sports bettors should always take their time when choosing which sports betting platform best suits their needs. Then, consider the betting odds, bettor reviews, bonus offers, and customer support of each sportsbook.
Colorado sports betting law has made registration quick and straightforward. Once you’ve chosen a sportsbook, simply fill in your personal details via a mobile device or computer. Some Colorado sportsbooks may also ask for your driver’s license or SSN to verify your identity.
Always be sure to claim your bonus when completing the registration process with a new sportsbook in Colorado. These promotions are driven by competition in the state and provide new sports bettors with several great offerings.
All of the popular bets are available for sports bettors in Colorado.
These include moneylines, player prop bets (excluding college sports), point spreads, parlays, Over/Unders (totals), teasers, live bets, and futures.
There are many ways to make deposits into your sports betting account. Every Colorado sportsbook is different, but a combination of the following should be available: Play+, PayPal, credit cards, debit cards, bank transfers, or PayNearMe. Cash can also be used at retail sportsbooks in the Centennial State.
Take a look at the transaction fees associated with each method before choosing the one that works for you.
Familiarize yourself with the various betting opportunities available with each sportsbook you’re considering. Not all Colorado sportsbooks offer the same betting lines, so a little bit of research could uncover more favorable betting scenarios than you may have anticipated.
Some sportsbooks may ask players to verify their identity via a driver’s license before processing a withdrawal. Withdrawals may be immediate but could also take a day or two, depending on how you choose to pull out funds from your account.
Odds explainedColorado sportsbooks use American Odds — also known as moneyline odds — as the default option when displaying betting odds. For favorites, the number listed indicates the amount bettors need to wager to win $100. So, for example, -150 odds tell you that $150 needs to be put on this line if you’d like to take home $100 in profit.
Conversely, the number found next to an underdog specifies the profit up for grabs when placing a $100 bet. For example, +155 odds represent the $155 in profit you would receive following a winning $100 bet. As underdogs are not expected to win, you’ll stand to gain more when placing a wager on these teams.
Sportsbooks in Colorado may also allow you to view odds as decimals and fractions. Check out our odds converter to easily switch between American, Decimal, and Fractional odds.
Colorado has quickly become a significant market for sports betting in the United States. The state has registered over $2 billion in sports bets in the year following the legalization of sports wagering.
Colorado's monthly betting handle has surpassed $300 million on two occasions — most recently in March 2021. The state's 6.4 hold percentage was second-lowest among all states with legalized sports betting in 2020.
Here's a look at Colorado's sports betting earnings to date:
|
Year |
Total handle |
Revenue |
Hold percentage |
Tax revenue |
|
2020 |
$1.19B |
$75.8M |
6.4% |
$2.96M |
|
2021 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Month |
2021 |
2020 |
|
January |
$326M |
N/A |
|
February |
$266M |
N/A |
|
March |
$301M |
N/A |
|
April |
$244M |
N/A |
|
May |
$249M |
$25M |
|
June |
$229 |
$38M |
|
July |
- |
$59M |
|
August |
- |
$128M |
|
September |
- |
$207M |
|
October |
- |
$210M |
|
November |
- |
$231M |
|
December |
- |
$284M |
|
Total |
$1.56B |
$1.19B |
Colorado may have the least restrictive sports betting law in the country. Flush with betting opportunities, Coloradans and visitors of the Centennial State can lay a sports bet on just about any event imaginable.
However, there a few exceptions highlighted here:
PoliticsThere is no legal way to bet on politics in Colorado.
Awards ceremoniesWhile popular with offshore sites, celebrity and pop-culture events such as the Academy Awards are off-limits.
Sports bettors are free to place bets on any college team in the country. Player props are not offered, however.
The NFL Draft is now a marquee offseason betting event and Coloradans are free to partake in the action.
While esports betting is legal in Colorado, all esports events must be approved individually by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC).
Legal sports bets may be placed online via a computer or mobile device. In-person wagers are permitted in Colorado at one of the state’s 17 retail locations.
|
Online sportsbook operator |
Mobile app |
Odds provider |
Online casino |
Retail partner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
BallyBet |
Yes |
Bet.Works |
No |
Golden Gates Casino |
|
Yes |
Kambi |
No |
Ameristar Black Hawk |
|
|
Yes |
Playtech |
No |
Saratoga Casino Black Hawk |
|
|
Yes |
Stadium |
No |
Monarch Casino |
|
|
Yes |
BetMGM |
No |
Midnight Rose Casino |
|
|
Yes |
IGT |
No |
McGills Hotel and Casino |
|
|
Yes |
ISI Sports |
No |
Wildwood Casino |
|
|
Circa Sports |
Yes |
Circa |
No |
Century Casinos |
|
Yes |
SBTech |
No |
Golden Mardi Gras Casino |
|
|
Yes |
Bet.Works |
No |
Red Dolly Casino |
|
|
Yes |
Flutter |
No |
Golden Gates Casino |
|
|
Yes |
TSG |
No |
Lasy Luck Casino |
|
|
PlayMaverick |
Yes |
IGT |
No |
Maverick Gaming |
|
Yes |
Kambi |
No |
Double Eagle Casino |
|
|
Yes |
Smarkets |
No |
Bronco Billy's Casino |
|
|
Yes |
Sky Ute |
No |
Sky Ute Casino |
|
|
Yes |
Carousel |
No |
Johnny Nolan's Casino |
|
|
SuperBook USA |
Yes |
Stadium |
No |
The Lodge Casino |
|
Yes |
Bet.Works |
No |
The Gilpin Casino |
|
|
Yes |
Kambi |
No |
Bronco Billy's Casino |
|
|
Yes |
William Hill |
No |
Lady Luck Casino |
|
|
Yes |
GAN |
No |
Bronco Billy's Casino |
|
Sportsbook |
Venue |
Address |
Phone number |
Odds provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Barstool Sportsbook |
Ameristar Black Hawk |
111 Richman Street, Black Hawk, CO 80422 |
(720) 946-4000 |
Kambi |
|
BetFred Sportsbook |
Saratoga Casino Black Hawk |
101 Main Street, Black Hawk, CO 80422 |
(303) 582-6100 |
Playtech |
|
BetRivers Sportsbook |
McGills Hotel and Casino |
232 Bennett Ave, Cripple Creek, CO 80813 |
(719) 689-2446 |
IGT |
|
Bronco Sportsbook |
Bronco Billy's Casino | 233 E. Bennett Ave., Cripple Creek, CO 80813 | (719) 689-2142 |
Kambi |
|
DraftKings Sportsbook |
Mardi Gras Casino | 300 Main Street Black Hawk, CO 80422 | (303) 582-5600 |
SBTech |
|
The SuperBook |
Lodge Casino | 240 Main Street, Black Hawk, CO 80422 | (303) 582-1771 |
Stadium |
|
Woody's Sportsbook |
Wildwood Casino |
119 Carbonate Street Cripple Creek, CO 80813 |
(719) 244-9700 |
ISI |
Coloradans adore their pro sports teams. Many state sportsbooks may even encourage small wagers on these clubs by attaching easily attainable bonuses to a player or team performance.
In the long run, however, bettors must treat home team bets like any other and put biases aside. Conduct your research and review our how to bet guides before blindly placing a bet on any of your favorite teams.
Colorado legalized sports betting on May 1, 2020, but clearing the legislature was only the beginning. The path to legalization came less than six months after Colorado voters approved a ballot measure, by a slim margin, that would cover the regulation of sports betting through licensed casinos.
Both mobile and retail sports betting are permitted under Colorado law. The state will leverage tax revenue from sports betting to help fund various state water projects.
This timeline illustrates notable milestones in Colorado's sports gambling history:
Colorado is home to 40 casinos, five poker rooms, and one racetrack.
Beyond sports betting, state lawmakers have remained hesitant to usher in any other forms of online gambling.
CasinoMost of Colorado’s casinos are located in Cripple Creek and Blackhawk. Each casino offers an exhaustive list of table games, including craps and roulette, which were added when the Colorado Limited Gaming Act was altered in 2009.
Online casinos are illegal in the Centennial State. Sweepstakes gambling sites are permitted, however, as these sites use “sweeps coins” instead of dollars and are legal in 49 of 50 states.
PokerPoker enthusiasts can visit five poker rooms in Colorado. Ameristar Casino Blackhawk, Isle Casino Blackhawk, and Golden Gates Casino are home to the most popular poker tournaments in the state.
Like online casinos, there are no legal options for playing online poker in Colorado.
Horse racingColorado is home to a single-horse racetrack — Arapahoe Park Horse Track. Coloradans can place live or simulcast wagers at Arapahoe Park or at one of twelve off-track betting sites.
Pari-mutuel bets can be placed online with TVG and TwinSpires.
Daily Fantasy SportsDaily Fantasy Sports have been legal in Colorado since 2016. Players must be 18 or older to enter DFS contests in the Centennial State.
DraftKings, FanDuel, YahooSports, Monkey Knife Fight, and Prize Picks are among the DFS operators in Colorado.
With legal sports betting taking off in Colorado, the Colorado Gaming Associated (CGA) has implemented several programs to educate casino employees and support problem gamblers.
The Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado (PGCC) provides support in the form of a self-exclusion program. Individuals who fear having a gambling addiction may voluntarily prohibit themselves from all betting activity in the state.
Legal online sportsbooks also allow users to place a wide range of restrictions on themselves. For example, players can set deposit and betting limits or permanently join the self-exclusion list.
Colorado formally legalized sports betting, following the Supreme Court's ruling to overturn the long-standing federal ban on sports gambling. Sports gambling is also legal in these states: Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Offshore betting sites do exist in Colorado, but bettors are advised to avoid them. The following sites have been added to our blacklist because they are unregulated, unreliable and there is no guarantee players will be able to access funds placed in unsecured accounts.
Yes, sports betting is legal in Colorado for those 21 and older.
Colorado sports betting can be placed online using a mobile device or computer. Online wagers may be placed at one of the state’s retail sportsbooks.
No, bettors do not need to be residents of Colorado in order to place a wager. Still, players must be physically located in Colorado to partake in sports betting activities.
Visit a sports betting website, download a sports betting app, or head on over to a retail sportsbook to place a sports wager in Colorado.
Yes, wagering on Colorado teams at the professional and college level is permitted. College prop bets are not allowed, however.
Colorado took in nearly $76 million in sports betting revenue in 2020.
Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek are home to Colorado’s retail sportsbooks. Online wagers can be placed state-wide.
The Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission and the Colorado Division of Gaming provide oversight over the regulation of legalized sports betting in Colorado.
Yes, the Canadian-owned operator is live in Colorado and kiosks can be found at the Gilpin Casino in Black Hawk.
Yes, DraftKings has partnered with Mardi Gras Casino and was among the first sportsbooks to go live in May 2020.
