Sports betting is now live in Colorado! Here is everything you need to know about sports betting for real money, both locally and online.
Colorado Sports Betting Basics
The latest movement in the Colorado gambling scene is the legalization of sports betting. The HB19-1327 bill to legalize sports gambling was authorized by the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee in 2019 and hit public vote in November of the same year. The public ballot named Proposition DD scraped through with 50.8% of the public vote. This means as of 1st May 2020, sports gambling in Colorado is legal and the state now provides full-service sports gambling.
Sports gambling is permitted at both retail casinos and online sportsbooks. However, operators must first receive new master licenses, and more than 50 applications have been submitted by operators requesting licenses to allow them to offer sports betting. This is a combination of both land-based casinos and online sportsbook operators. The first licenses were approved back in February, and more have been approved since.
Although sports betting is now legal, it will take a while for all casinos and online operators to have their sports betting services ready go live. On top of this, the temporary closures of casinos and the canceling of many top sporting events have hindered the launch of Colorado’s sports betting. Nevertheless, the state’s first sportsbooks went live on 1st May 2020 despite the unfavorable circumstances. All the latest updates on Colorado’s gambling including which casinos have live sportsbooks, what online websites have been launched, and what mobile apps are available, check out our news section.
Land-Based Colorado Sportsbooks
It is possible for any of the brick-and-mortar casinos throughout Colorado to apply for licensing which will allow them to operate as a sports betting provider and the Colorado Gaming Division has awarded several. Due to the global pandemic, the launch of retail sportsbooks has been pushed back. So far, only Bronco Billy’s Casino, Monarch Casino, and the Sasquatch Casino have rolled out their onsite sportsbooks.
However, all of the following casinos can launch retail sportsbooks, and we will likely see these emerge in the coming months:
Black Hawk Casinos:
Central City Casinos:
Additionally, the two Native American casinos – Sky Ute Casino Resort and Ute Mountain Casino – can also offer sportsbooks onsite but do not need to apply for licensing due to sovereignty. Both casinos have said they will be keen to release a retail sportsbook.
Online Colorado Sportsbooks
Sports betting in Colorado is also legal via online sportsbooks with the correct licensing. The first sportsbooks to launch in the state were Draftkings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, BetMGM, and BetRivers which all went live on 1st May 2020. Since then, the Monarch Casino Resort & Spa in Black Hawk has launched its own online sportsbook app titled Bet Monarch on 11th May 2020. FOX Bet shortly followed, launching its mobile app on 19th May 2020. The most recent additions are the Sky Ute Sportsbook and SBK by Smarkets.
Several other online operators have partnered with Colorado casinos to bring their online sportsbooks and mobile apps to the state. Here are the collaborations and apps we will see launching shortly:
| Sportsbook Website/App | Casino Partnership | Launch Date |
| DraftKings Sportsbook | Golden Gulch Casino & Golden Mardi Gras Casino | 1st May 2020 |
| FanDuel Sportsbook | Golden Gates Casino & Golden Mardi Gras Casino | 1st May 2020 |
| BetMGM | Midnight Rose Casino | 1st May 2020 |
| BetRivers | JP McGill’s Casino | 1st May 2020 |
| Bet Monarch | Monarch Casino Resort & Spa | 11th May 2020 |
| FOX Bet | Isle Casino Hotel & Lady Luck Casino | 19th May 2020 |
| Sky Ute Sportsbook | Sky Ute Casino Resort | 2nd June 2020 |
| SBK by Smarkets | Bronco Billy’s Casino | 4th June 2020 |
| SportsBetting.com | Johnny Nolon’s Casino | Summer 2020 |
| Barstool Bets | Ameristar Casino | Fall 2020 |
| Bet365 | Century Casinos | TBC |
| BetAmerica | Bronco Billy’s Casino | TBC |
| BetFred USA Sports | Saratoga Casino | TBC |
| Circa Sports | Century Casinos | TBC |
| ISI Race & Sports | Wildwood Casino | TBC |
| PointsBet | Double Eagle Casino | TBC |
| SuperBook | Lodge Casino | TBC |
| TheScore | Gilpin Casino | TBC |
| William Hill | Isle Casino Hotel & Lady Luck Casino | TBC |
| Wynn Sports | Bronco Billy’s Casino | TBC |
In addition, Digital Gamin Corp and Penn Sports Interactive have also all had their licenses approved but are yet to partner with any retail casinos or announce any plans to launch services.
Alongside internet sportsbooks, most online operators will also offer a mobile app for tablets and smartphones. This means you will be able to place bets using a mobile device from anywhere inside the state of Colorado. All sportsbooks will use geolocation technology to ensure users are in the state when placing wagers. For more information on the top sportsbooks, advice on choosing a reputable online gambling site, and welcome bonuses on offer, take a look at our sportsbook reviews.
Best Online Sports Betting Sites
For Sportsbooks
With a huge range of online sportsbooks and frequently changing gambling laws, it is difficult to find one which is both legitimate and trustworthy. Here are some of the top legitimate sportsbooks with great coverage and generous welcome bonuses:
On 1st May 2020, DraftKings launched its Colorado Sportsbook which offers a range of different sport betting markets, interesting wagers, is easy to navigate around. They are currently offering a triple new player bonus on their site.
FanDuel Sportsbook is another top provider which did not enter the online gambling scene until 2018, with its Colorado Sportsbook being the latest expansion. The site offers a welcome bonus of $500 risk-free bet to new players along with an extensive range of sports markets. Its straightforward interface makes the site easy to navigate and great for first-time sports betters.
The latest to join the Colorado market, FOX Bet offers the most competitive welcome bonus to players. Regular weekly promotions are also run by FOX Sports hosts and presenters. The app is known for its outstanding in-play options with informative live updates and in-play betting protection.
Other noteworthy sites are BetRivers, and BetMGM. Comprehensive reviews for all legal sportsbook sites can be found in our sportsbook reviews section.
For Daily Fantasy Sports
Gambling on fantasy sports contests has been legal in Colorado since 2016 as it is considered a game of skill. Unlike sports betting legislation, you only need to be 18 years old to partake in DFS contests. In fantasy sports contests, players build a fantasy team from a selection of real-world athletes and compete in fantasy leagues against other players’ teams to earn points. The points earnt are based on the athlete’s performance in real-world sporting events. The following are notable DFS providers:
DraftKings DFS offers a range of short tournaments which allow players to swap and change their line ups every few days rather than being stuck with the same team for the whole season. They also offer a generous welcome bonus and major fantasy sporting leagues which attract upwards of 500,000 players and offer first-place prizes of over $1 million.
FanDuel is the biggest fantasy sports site worldwide and again offers payouts of over $1 million for its largest contests. They also offer players the option to choose from tournaments as short as a day in length up to the length of an entire season.
Colorado Sports Betting Markets
As Colorado sportsbooks make the transition from legal to illegal and begin to launch, it is unclear exactly what sports coverage and wagers will be offered. The cancellation and postponing of many sporting events due to COVID-19 has also drastically altered the predicted landscape. Nevertheless, usual types of bets offered by Colorado’s current sportsbooks are:
- Moneyline Bets: Bets on any given team winning a sporting event.
- Overs/Unders: Total number of points scored in a single game.
- Spreads: Number of points a team will win by.
- Props: Bets on the performance of an individual player.
- Parlays: Accumulative bets which involve correctly predicting outcomes of multiple events.
- Teasers: Parlays which include spreads.
- Futures: Bets for the outcome of future events.
- In-play: Bets placed during an ongoing event.
Sportsbooks had planned to offer wagers on all the top US sporting events and most cover at least some international markets. However, the Colorado sportsbooks had to launch with very limited options. The first few weeks after the launch saw table tennis dominating, closely followed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Korean baseball due to the limited sporting events currently running. When events are rescheduled and go ahead as usual, we can expect to see wagers from favorite Colorado teams including the Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies, Colorado Rapids, and Denver Nuggets. Many sportsbooks also cover horse race betting.