In 1990, voters allowed for limited-stakes casinos to enter the mountain towns of Black Hawk, Cripple Creek, and Central City, alongside tribal gaming venues in the state. Today, 34 commercial and tribal casinos are operating in Colorado. However, the use of online casinos remains illegal and no legal efforts are currently underway to change this.
Therefore, as it stands, anyone wishing to play casino games for real money in Colorado will need to head to a land-based property. Alternatively, sweepstakes casinos are available for anyone looking to play for “sweeps coins” instead of dollars, or social online casinos are available and legal if you don’t wish to play for real money and have become popular in Colorado.
You may also come across real money internet casinos that say they accept players from Colorado but don’t be fooled; as no laws have passed to legalize and regulate the online casino industry in CO, all these sites are illegal and operate from overseas.
Because of this, it can be hard to determine the legitimacy of the sites and many are scam websites looking to steal your personal information or hard-earned money. It is best to steer clear of these sites and stick to online sports betting or DFS, or head to land-based properties if you want to try your hand at slots, table games, or poker for real money.
Although online casinos are illegal in Colorado, for the time being, the success of online sportsbooks in the state may bring a change of heart. Moreover, with other US states legalizing the entire iGaming industry, there is a possibility that Colorado will follow suit in time.
It is impossible to know if or when this will happen or what the industry will look like for certain. However, based on the rules and regulations in other states, we can get a pretty good idea of what’s to come.
Online slots and video poker machines will undoubtedly become available in a regulated market. These are the most prolific games available on legal sites in other states, with many operators offering hundreds of titles from top developers. Electronic Blackjack, Baccarat, and Roulette are also popular, but live table games are too gaining a lot of momentum. However, live dealer games are not available in all states with regulated internet casinos, so CO online casinos may or may not offer this.
In terms of operators, that state’s live sportsbook apps can point us in the right direction. The land-based casinos will likely have to partner with online operators to provide digital casino games, and so any sportsbooks already partnered with land-based venues that have a casino arm will likely go live. Examples include DraftKings, BetMGM, BetRivers, and PointsBet, all of which already have partnerships with casino properties in CO and have launched online casinos in other legal states.
As mentioned, for any real money casino games, your only option is to get to one of Colorado’s 34 brick-and-mortar casino properties. The majority are located within the towns of Black Hawk, Central City, or Cripple Creek, but there are also two tribal casinos in Ignacio and Towaoc.
Here are all of your options for safe and legal land-based casino gambling in the state and the types of games you’ll find at each.
LIVE CASINO | LOCATION | TYPE | AMENITIES |
Ameristar Casino | Black Hawk | Land-Based | 1,240 slot machines, 40 table games, and 22 poker tables |
Billy’s Casino | Cripple Creek | Land-Based | 265 slot machines, 8 table games, and 2 poker tables |
Brass Ass Casino | Cripple Creek | Land-Based | 232 slot machines, 11 table games, and 1 poker table |
Bronco Billy’s Casino | Cripple Creek | Land-Based | 435 slot machines |
Bull Durham Saloon & Casino | Black Hawk | Land-Based | 194 slot machines |
Century Casino | Central City | Land-Based | 464 slot machines, 6 table games, and 1 poker table |
Century Casino Cripple Creek | Cripple Creek | Land-Based | 195 slot machines, 5 table games, and 1 poker table |
Christmas Casino | Cripple Creek | Land-Based | 121 slot machines |
Colorado Grande Hotel & Casino | Cripple Creek | Land-Based | 218 slot machines |
Dostal Alley | Central City | Land-Based | 63 slot machines |
Double Eagle Hotel & Casino | Cripple Creek | Land-Based | 462 slot machines and 3 table games |
Easy Street Casino | Central City | Land-Based | 180 slot machines |
Famous Bonanza | Central City | Land-Based | 238 slot machines |
Gilpin Hotel & Casino | Black Hawk | Land-Based | 309 slot machines |
Golden Gates Casino | Black Hawk | Land-Based | 172 slot machines, 7 table games, and 18 poker tables |
Golden Gulch Casino | Black Hawk | Land-Based | 64 slot machines |
Golden Mardi Gras Casino | Black Hawk | Land-Based | 64 slot machines |
Grand Z Casino | Central City | Land-Based | 684 slot machines, 7 table games, and 1 poker table |
Isle Casino Hotel | Black Hawk | Land-Based | 909 slot machines, 22 table games, and 14 poker tables |
Johnny Nolon’s Casino | Cripple Creek | Land-Based | 223 slot machines |
Johnny Z Casino | Central City | Land-Based | 330 slot machines |
JP McGill’s Hotel & Casino | Cripple Creek | Land-Based | 280 slot machines |
Lady Luck Casino | Black Hawk | Land-Based | 415 slot machines and 7 table games |
Lodge Casino | Black Hawk | Land-Based | 963 slot machines, 20 table games, and 6 poker tables |
Midnight Rose Hotel & Casino | Cripple Creek | Land-Based | 348 slot machines and 8 poker tables |
Monarch Casino | Black Hawk | Land-Based | 743 slot machines, 11 table games, and 3 poker tables |
Red Dolly Casino | Black Hawk | Land-Based | 131 slot machines |
Saratoga Casino | Black Hawk | Land-Based | 437 slot machines, 10 table games, and 2 poker tables |
Sasquatch Casino | Black Hawk | Land-Based | 186 slot machines |
Sky Ute Casino | Ignacio | Native American | 600 slot machines, 8 table games, and a 200-seat bingo hall |
Ute Mountain Casino | Towaoc | Native American | 780 slot machines, 6 table games, and a 400-seat bingo hall |
Wild Card Saloon | Black Hawk | Land-Based | 250 slot machines |
Wildwood Casino | Cripple Creek | Land-Based | 507 slots, 10 table games, and 4 poker tables |
Z Casino | Black Hawk | Land-Based | 404 slot machines and 6 table games |
Are online casinos legal in Colorado?
No, online casinos are not legal in Colorado. You may find real money sites online that accept players from Colorado, but these are not licensed or regulated by the state and are instead run by offshore operators. To play on these sites from inside CO is illegal and there is no security that you are playing on a legitimate and trusted site.
Will Colorado see fully-fledged online casinos in the future?
Colorado may see fully-fledged online casinos in the future, but not for a while. This would require new legislation to be passed, but the last legal attempt made gained no real traction. However, with other states legalizing the industry and with the success of Colorado online sports betting, there is hope for the future.
Should I play at offshore casinos in Colorado?
No, you should not play at offshore casinos in Colorado. As these sites are not regulated or licensed by the state, gambling at offshore internet casinos is not recommended and could put your money and sensitive information at risk. Playing as these sites from Colorado is also illegal.
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