The Golden Gates Casino was one of the first Colorado casinos to open after the legalization of casino gambling back in 1991. Located in Black Hawk, the casino has a reputation for holding some of the biggest and best poker tournaments in Colorado. The Colorado Poker Championships are held there annually, along with the televised Heartland Poker Tour with a prize pool of over $1.2 million.
The casino is operated by Twin River Management Group who also owns two other Black Hawk casinos: Golden Gulch Casino and Mardi Gras Casino. This trio of casinos has some of the best that Black Hawk has to offer. Alongside its popular 18-table poker room, Golden Gates casino is also home to over 172 slots and 7 table games.
- Address: 300 Main Street, Black Hawk, CO 90422
- Opening Times: 24 hours, seven days per week
- Hotel: No
- Loyalty Program: FreePlay loyalty program
- Gaming: 172 slots, 7 table games, and 18 poker tables
- Restaurants and Bars: Full House Café and Gold Bar
Casino Games
Slots
The Golden Gates Casino is home to over 172 slot machines and video poker games. You can choose from penny machines up to $25 slots in the casinos High Limit area. Games are also highly varied, offering everything from classic slots up to the most modern and action-packed video slot machines.
Table Games
There are 7 table games at the Golden Gates Casino:
- 5 Blackjack Tables
- 1 Roulette Table
- 1 Craps Table
Poker Room
If you want to play poker then look no further; the poker room at the Golden Gates Casino is the highlight of the premises. Their state-of-the-art Poker Parlour is home to 18 live poker tables, and daily tournaments run at 10am, 12pm, and 7pm. In fact, if you are looking to partake in a tournament this may well be the casino for you.
The Golden Gates Casino is the founder of the Colorado Poker Championship and the tournament is hosted in their poker room. This runs annually in May and boasts a prize pool of $500,000. They also hold the televised Heartland Poker Tour with a staggering $1.2 million up for grabs.
Both the infamous Texas Hold’Em and Omaha Hi-Lo poker variations are available to play live at the Golden Gates Casino. The only tournaments held are Texas Hold’Em variations. A daily $60 buy-in spread-limit tournament starts at 10am every day, and games with larger buy-ins run at 7pm and 12pm every day of the week. The tournament schedule is as follows:
- $60 buy-in spread-limit Hold’Em: Daily at 10am, Sunday to Thursday at 7pm
- $80 buy-in spread-limit Hold’Em: Monday to Thursday at 12pm
- $140 buy-in spread-limit Hold’Em: Friday and Saturday at 7pm
- $200 buy-in spread-limit Hold’Em: Friday and Sunday at 12pm
- $300 buy-in spread-limit Hold’Em: Saturday at 12pm
Alongside daily tournaments, Golden Gates Casino also offers monthly freerolls and other events.
Casino Loyalty Program
The Golden Gates Casino has a joint loyalty program with its two sister casinos, the Mardi Gras Casino and the Golden Gulch Casino. Members earn FreePlay points as they place wagers, and points can be redeemed for credits on slot or video machines. Due to the partnership, points can be earnt and spent at any of the three Golden Group Black Hawk casinos. They also offer a mail rewards program that gives members the change of getting their hands on extra FreePlay, free bets, cash rewards, and free entries into exclusive member-only draws.
Sportsbook Services
As of 1st May 2020, it is legal to gamble on sports in Colorado. However, the casino has yet to launch any sportsbook services onsite in the retail property.
Since 1st May 2020, online sportsbooks have also entered the market. The Twin Rivers Management Group have partnered with two top online sportsbook and daily fantasy sports providers: DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook. Both of these sites went live on 1st May 2020, paving the way for sportsbooks to enter the Colorado market. Golden Gates is partnered directly with FanDuel, so you may wish to take advantage of this leading site.
Dining and Bars
The Golden Gates Casino is home to one restaurant and one bar. The Full House Café serves breakfast until 12pm, and serves a selection of sandwiches, salads, wraps, and burgers throughout the day. The café is located on the first floor of the premises close to the casino floor. It is open 9am – 2pm Monday to Thursday, and 24 hours over the weekend.
Also located on the first floor is the Gold Bar. This serves a range of soft and alcoholic drinks, and regularly shows sporting events on the 22 TVs around the bar. There are also a few slot machines for those of you that want to maximize gambling time. The bar is open 24 hours every day of the week.
Online Gambling
In Colorado, casino games such as slots, poker, and table games are illegal if played online. The Golden Gates Casino does, therefore, not offer any online casino games. If you wish to take advantage of the games on offer, then you will have to head to the retail casino in person.
Online sports betting is legalized in Colorado. The Twin Rivers Management Group has struck deals with two top sports betting sites: FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook. DraftKings is partnered with the Mardi Gras Casino, whereas FanDuel is partnered with the Golden Gates Casino and went live on 1st May 2020 and their sportsbook mobile apps are up and running. They both offer legalized and trustworthy sports betting, so are sites worthy of looking at if you want to gamble on the go and make real money online.