Colorado state law permits six forms of gambling:
- Casino gambling in licensed casinos;
- The Colorado lottery;
- Betting on horse races through the Colorado Division of Racing;
- Online legal sports betting;
- Licensed charitable bingo and raffles; and
- Social gambling, such as poker night among friends.
Otherwise, gambling activities outside of a licensed casino are against Colorado law. Illegal gambling (CRS 18-10-103) can be a petty offense or misdemeanor, depending on the case.
1. Legal Casinos
All the licensed Colorado casinos are located in Black Hawk, Cripple Creek, Central City, Towaoc, and Ignacio.1 They offer traditional casino games, including:
- slot machines
- roulette
- sports betting
- blackjack
- craps
- poker
- other table games
|
Black Hawk casinos |
Central City casinos |
Cripple Creek casinos |
|
Finally, Sky Ute is located on an Indian Reservation in Ignacio, and Ute Mountain is located on the Indian Reservation in Towaoc.
2. Lottery Games
The legal Colorado state lottery games include:
3. Horse Racing
The only active race track in Colorado is at Arapahoe Park in Aurora. The biggest races there are the Cherry Creek Futurity and the Mile High Derby.
There are also 11 off-track betting (OTB) sites where wagering on horse- and greyhound racing is permitted.
- The 8 Track (Grand Junction)
- Big D’s at Whiskey River (Greeley)
- Celtic on Market (Denver)
- Elevations at Union Station (Colorado Springs)
- Havana Park (Aurora)
- OTB Sundance (Fort Collins)
- Pick 6 @ The Fox and Hound (Lone Tree)
- Pick 6 @ The Mirage (Littleton)
- Post Time OTB (Colorado Springs)
- So Co Gaming and Event Center (Pueblo)
- Softball Country (Denver)
Finally, bettors can place horse racing bets online. The two main pari-mutuel betting platforms are the BetAmerica and TVG gambling sites.3
Colorado permits betting on horse races through licensed sportsbooks.
4. Online Sports Betting
Licensed online sports betting – including daily fantasy sports – has been legal in Colorado since May 1, 2020.4 The top sportsbooks for online Colorado sports betting include:
Other than licensed online sports betting, internet gambling is illegal in Colorado. There are no online casinos or online poker betting sites that are legal in Colorado.
Meanwhile, federal law under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act forbids online gamblers from using credit cards, checks and electronic fund transfers to make or settle bets.5
5. Bingo and Raffles
Non-profit charity organizations that are at least five years old are eligible for a license to hold bingo games and raffles. Though there are various rules and jackpot limits the organizations must comply with.6
To apply for a license, contact the Colorado Secretary of State at 303-869-4910 or [email protected].
6. Social Gambling
Under Colorado law, social gambling is
“any game, wager, or transaction which is incidental to a bona fide social relationship, participated in by natural persons only, and in which no person is participating in professional gambling.”7
Common examples of lawful social gambling are a poker night among friends or an office pool for the Super Bowl. Though any organized tournament would be illegal, even if all the participants know each other.
Penalties for Illegal Gambling in Colorado
|
Gambling offense |
Colorado sentence |
| In-person or online gambling outside of Colorado’s legal confines | Petty offense: Up to 10 days in jail and/or up to $300.8 |
| Professional gambling (profiting off illegal gambling such as bookies) | Class 2 misdemeanor (for first-time offenders): Up to 120 days in jail and/or up to $750.9 |
| Owning, possessing, using, or selling a gambling device or gambling record | Class 2 misdemeanor (for first-time offenders): Up to 120 days in jail and/or up to $750.10 |
Note that you may also have to forfeit any of their proceeds or gaming devices to the police.11
Additional Resources
For more gambling information, visit the Colorado Division of Gaming and the Limited Gaming Control Commission. Also refer to these scholarly articles:
- Past Experiences with Gambling and Its Impact on Benefits Sought: A Case Study of Gambling Travelers to Black Hawk, Colorado, USA – International Journal of Tourism Sciences.
- Uneasy Money: The High-Stakes Consequences of Low-Stakes Gambling for Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek, Colorado: A Commentary – Mining History Journal.
- Colorado Limited Gaming Update – Gaming Law Review.
- Casino Gaming and Crime: Comparisons among Gaming Counties and Other Tourism Places and Crime Patterns and Gaming Development in Rural Colorado– Journal of Travel Research.
- Community Attachment in Two Rural Gaming Communities: Comparisons between Colorado Gaming Communities, USA and Gangwon Gaming Communities, South Korea – Tourism Geographies.
Legal References
- CRS 44-30-105; CRS 44-31-101 et seq. HB 23-1293.
- CRS 44-40-101 et seq.
- CRS 44-32-101 et seq.
- HB19-1327; CRS 44-30-102 et seq.
- CRS 44-30-1506; CRS 44-30-1511.
- CRS 24-21-601 et seq.
- CRS 18-10-102; see Charnes v. Central City Opera House Asso., (1989) 773 P.2d 546.
- CRS 18-10-103. Prior to March 1, 2022, illegal gambling was a class 1 petty offense, which carried up to six months in jail and/or fines of up to $500. SB21-271.
- Same. Prior to March 1, 2022, professional gambling was a class 1 misdemeanor carrying six to 18 months in jail and/or a fine of $500 to $5,000. SB21-271.
- CRS 18-10-105. Prior to March 1, 2022, class 2 misdemeanors carried 12 months in jail and/or a fine of $250 to $1,000. SB21-271.
- CRS 18-10-104; see also State Dept. of Rev. v. Grooms Music Co., (Colo. App. 1986) 721 P.2d 1225.
