Colorado Online Sportsbooks & Betting Sites
As the popularity of sports betting continues to surge across America, more and more states are legalising the vocation and Colorado sanctioned sports betting in 2019.
Despite launching in the midst of a global pandemic, the sports betting scene in Colorado has grown markedly in the subsequent months, with significant sums of investment within the industry.
The unique landscape of Colorado as a state makes locating sports betting retailers a potentially tricky process but with outlets in Denver, Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek – most punters are catered for in the ‘Centennial State’.
Online gambling was made available to punters at the start of 2020 and whilst access was suspended during the COVID 19 outbreak, the sporting action has steadily returned and so has the interest in online betting in Colorado.
The convenience of being able to bet online has added another element to the sports betting scene in Colorado, with sports such as baseball, American Football and basketball dominating the sportsbooks state wide.
Legality of Sports Betting in Colorado
Due to its unique location in America, both geographically and politically, Colorado has always been seen as a state that is representative of American voters. Both Democrats and Republicans have had recent success in Colorado and its status as a ‘Swing State’ is well documented.
Consequently, the decision to legalise sports gambling in Colorado back in 2019 was in keeping with the national trend and Colorado have subsequently been less rigorous than some other states in the sports gambling regulations they have imposed on their punters.
Back in 2019, the decision to legalise sports betting was a hotly contested one, but the vote narrowly passed, with the legalisation stating that the increased tax revenue created by sports betting would be used for water projects within Colorado.
Whilst 33 different casino locations applied for licenses to operate from in Colorado back in 2019, there are 5 main in-person sports betting retail locations in the Centennial State.
Cripple Creek, Black Hawk and Central City all have fully operational sports betting complexes whilst there are two further Casino hotels in Ute that possess sportsbook licenses.
Colorado Online Sports Betting
Online betting was sanctioned in 2020 in Colorado under Proposition DD and has been heralded a success. The relative lack of restrictions on punters within the online gambling sphere (compared to some other States) has been beneficial for gamblers and sportsbooks alike – with the industry seemingly thriving in Colorado.
Whilst Colorado are relatively relaxed compared to some states in their licensing, there are still rules punters need to abide by when online sports betting in the state:
- Physical Location in Colorado – Sports gambling companies are very keen to ensure all punters betting are operating in the correct legal state. Anybody trying to place a bet with a Colorado based sportsbook, from outside of the state will be barred and the geolocation technology used by most of the major sportsbooks is rigorous.
- Online Sports Betting Licenses – All sports punters need to remain vigilant when choosing which online sportsbook to bet with and trustworthy and licensed operations should clearly present their relevant license on their betting homepage. The Colorado Government provides all accepted operations with a licensing number and punters should only bet with organisations that possess the relevant legislation.
One of the key innovations brought in by Colorado when sanctioning sports betting in the state, was the implementation of three different licenses for sportsbook.
This bespoke approach allow local bookmakers to have healthy competition within the state whilst it also allows national operations to provide a service within Colorado.
- Master License – Existing Colorado based casinos and sportsbooks can operate from the Master License, which allows them to work as a standalone enterprise in the state.
- Operator License – Operator licenses are issued to land-based operators providing services to master license holders at their on-site premises and apply only in cases with third-party operators.
- Internet Sports Betting License – In order to offer online sports betting services in Colorado, companies must obtain an Internet Sports Betting License. Consequently, major national bookmakers must partner with a local Colorado casino in order to launch branded sportsbooks and online betting apps in the state.
Who can bet on sports in Colorado?
Keeping abreast of the sports betting rules within each American state can become tricky for punters to establish who can and can’t bet on sport, in a given state.
Colorado’s sports betting laws were only brought in back in 2019 and consequently accommodate for the needs and wants of regular punters and experienced bettors alike.
Punters must be at least 21 years of age to legally place a sports bet in Colorado and all of the major in-store and online sports betting companies require verification and identification before a new customer can start betting with their company.
The key ruling punters encounter with Colorado is the state boundary law, which states that players must be within Colorado state lines (in-person) in order to bet. This has been the cause of much conjecture within the Colorado online sports betting sphere, but each player must be physically located within Colorado state in order to be operating under the local regulations.
Punters do not however need to be a resident of Colorado in order to bet there, the regulations work on the physical location of the gambler at the time a bet was placed.
Colorado Online Betting Sites & Sportsbooks
Nationally, there are a wealth of sports betting companies that are growing in stature (from State to State) in an attempt to boost their profile amongst the sports betting fraternity.
All of the below sites are national operations but must affiliate with local, Colorado based sportsbooks in order to be able to offer services from the Centennial State:
- William Hill
- BetMGM
- Draft Kings
- Pointsbet
- Betfred
The aforementioned betting companies are reputed the world over and are emerging on the Colorado sports betting market. Finding the ideal bookmaker can be difficult for some punters but with relatively lax laws in Colorado and plenty of choice on the market, there are sportsbook options available for all levels of punter.
What sports can you bet on in Colorado?
Colorado isn’t perhaps the first state that springs to mind for sports fans when they think of America but sport in the Centennial State is a moveable feast.
College sport is well-represented within Colorado and most of the main institutions in Colorado have successful sports teams, that residents of the state can back. The only ruling is the absence of live betting within Colorado on college sport action.
Across the professional sporting sphere, Colorado stand up well, with teams in the NFL (Denver Broncos), the NBA (Denver Nuggets), the MLB (Colorado Rockies) and the NHL (Colorado Avalanche) – giving punters of all interests sports to back in the state.
In addition, the Colorado Rapids are a successful MLS team and the lack of wagering restrictions within Colorado allows the wide range of sports on offer to appeal to all.
Betting staples such as tennis, golf and horse racing can all be accessed through online and in-person sports betting operations in Colorado, as the state looks to cater for the gambling needs of every sports betting enthusiast.
More niche offerings such as motor sports, UFC/MMA and Esports are also popping up amongst Colorado’s sportsbooks, as the state looks to fully embrace the online sports betting revolution.
What types of sports bet can you place in Colorado?
There is a national framework across America that sports punters must stick to when sports betting, yet Colorado are notoriously lax in the rules and regulations which they impose on their players.
Straight win bets continue to be the most popular gambling medium in the state and with so many different sports and fixtures to bet on, Colorado’s punters are generally spoilt for choice.
In-play betting isn’t enabled for College sports, but punters can access a range of betting markets once the action has begun and with reputable bookmakers offering excellent odds in Colorado, sports betting enthusiasts always have markets they can access as the action unfolds.
Moneyline and spread bets are also very popular across American sports and the in-play markets have boomed online as a result since their launch in Colorado in 2020.
Fixture compilers in America are notoriously savvy and with events such as Sunday Night Football primetime viewing in Colorado, the betting opportunities for punters continue to grow. Parlays and accumulators offer low risk, high reward options for punters and they are becoming increasingly popular with Colorado gamblers within both the online and in-play spheres, as a small stake can yield a substantial amount of money returned, if things go your way!
In comparison to some states in the US, Colorado was a little late to the draw with online betting regulations and the impact of COVID 19 saw an initial dip in uptake from the state’s gamblers. Subsequently however, the online sports betting market in Colorado has boomed with the sheer amount of sports bets available, coupled with the limited betting regulations – encouraging punters of all bank balances and betting aspirations to get on board with the growing sports betting trend in Colorado.
