How Do I Gamble Online in Colorado?

Online gambling in Colorado is complex, due to two sets of laws for gamblers. Once you understand Colorado gambling laws, it’s easy to sign up and play for real money in any gaming niche you like. That applies to Colorado online casinos, poker sites, and sportsbooks alike.

Our guide to Colorado online gambling discusses the complexities of US federal and state law. We cover the various land-based and online gambling groups you’ll encounter while noting the differences between the regulated and unregulated markets. Once finished, you’ll know exactly which sites offer the best online gambling options for you.

Online Gambling in Colorado: An Overview

Navigating the online gambling scene in Colorado can be a bit confusing, due to the differing laws. You’ll find a different set of rules for online casinos and poker sites than you will for online sportsbooks. In the same way, you’ll find a much different set of gaming operators.

Those who want to play at real money online casinos and poker sites must gamble at offshore sites. Casinos and cardrooms accept Colorado residents for real money play. Colorado officials do not prosecute individuals who gamble online, though they would punish any Colorado residents who launched their own unlicensed gambling site. The same story goes for online sports bettors, but with a major twist.

Since 2021, Colorado has had a licensed and regulated online sports betting industry. These online sportsbook sites and mobile sports betting apps are associated with land-based Colorado casinos and world-famous bookmaker brands. Legal online sportsbooks don’t offer the huge bonuses and varied banking options that offshore bookmakers do, but they feature the same bet types and come with the Colorado seal of approval.

Gambling Availability in Colorado

How to Gamble Online for Real Money in Colorado

If you’re interested in gambling at online casinos in Colorado, read through the following steps. Our guide gives advice for signing up at an online casino, but it applies just as well to online poker. We give special notes on legal online sports betting sites. Whichever way you go, remember to play at a safe and reputable site.

1. Research Gambling Sites: Start by finding trustworthy casinos by reading reviews and posts by other Colorado gamblers. Look for sites that have a good reputation and are well-known and legit.
2. Sign Up at a Casino: Once you’ve found a site that meets your needs, register for a player account. You’ll need to provide basic details and proof of residence, which will be used to verify your account when it’s time to withdraw winnings.
3. Make a Deposit: If you want to play for real money, you’ll need to make a deposit. Visit the cashier page, choose a deposit method, and make a deposit. Some sites may also offer a no-deposit bonus, which you can use to play games for free.
4. Accept a Casino Bonus: Many online casinos offer a welcome bonus to new players. This may include bonus cash or free spins on certain games. If you choose to accept a bonus, be sure to read the terms and conditions carefully, as there may be wagering requirements you need to meet before you can withdraw any bonus cash.
5. Play Casino Games: Once you’ve funded your account, you can start playing casino games for real money. Choose from slots, table games, and specialty games. Keep in mind that live dealer games may not count toward wagering requirements.
6. Make a Withdrawal: When you’ve cleared the wagering requirement, you can request a withdrawal of your winnings. Depending on the payout method you choose, your winnings may arrive within a few minutes or a few days.
7. Online Poker Rooms: If you choose to play at an online poker room, the process is quite similar though poker bonuses are a bit different. The bonus money unlocks $5 or $10 at a time on most sites, so it unlocks bonus cash as you play hands.
8. Online Sportsbooks: Colorado has over two dozen licensed online sportsbooks, so visit those if legal protections are most important. Offshore online bookmakers offer bigger bonuses, so that’s an option if you prefer the biggest welcome bonuses.

The Best Online Casinos and Poker Sites for Colorado Players

Colorado Land-Based Gambling Industry

Colorado boasts a substantial land-based gambling industry, including brick-and-mortar casinos, race tracks, and OTBs. It also has a well-established state lottery with ties to Powerball and Mega Millions, along with many charitable gaming groups. Bingo, raffles, and pull-tabs generate money for charity, while private home poker nights are legal for Colorado residents.

To boost its land-based gambling industry, Colorado also legalized land-based sports betting and mobile sportsbook apps in the past few years. Most of the tribal casinos in Colorado now offer visitors and in-state bettors the ability to make sports bets — both online and big sportsbook rooms on the site of their casinos.

Does Colorado have land-based casinos?

Yes. Colorado has 32 land-based casinos throughout 5 different cities. Most of the land casinos are located in Black Hawk, Cripple Creek, or Central City. The town of Ignacio hosts the Sky Ute Casino Resort, while the town of Towaoc hosts the Ute Mountain Casino Hotel. Otherwise, you must visit Black Hawk, Cripple Creek, or Central City to find a land-based casino.

Does Colorado have legal betting tracks?

Yes. Colorado has one horse track in the state with pari-mutuel wagering. That is Bally’s Arapahoe Park in Aurora, Colorado. Arapahoe Park has quarter horse racing on an oval track. It also has a full racebook.

Does Colorado allow off-track betting?

Yes. Colorado allows off-track betting and simulcasting. You’ll find 8 different OTBs located throughout the state, including one each in Arvada, Aurora, Colorado Springs, Denver, Fort Collins, Grand Junction, Greeley, and Pueblo.

Does Colorado allow charitable gambling?

Yes. Colorado charitable gaming groups can offer pull-tab gaming, bingo nights, and raffles. The maximum prize for progressive bingo or raffles is $15,000, while the maximum prize for progressive pull-tabs is $5,000.

In 2022, Colorado waived the 5-year requirement for a non-profit to be in existence before offering charitable gaming. It also dropped the law stipulating that charitable gaming managers cannot receive monetary compensation for their work.

Does Colorado allow lottery betting?

Yes. Colorado legalized a state lottery in 1992. It joined the Powerball multistate lottery association in 2001 and the Mega Millions lottery association in 2010. Vendors across the state sell state lottery tickets, Mega Millions and Powerball tickets, and scratch cards.

Is social gambling allowed in Colorado?

Since 2005, Colorado has had a social exception to gambling that is tied to a “social relationship”. The law notes that “natural persons” can socially gamble if it is part of a social encounter. That is, people can host private home poker games. The host cannot charge a rake and the poker event cannot have buy-in fees or other rules that stand in for an entry fee (seat licenses).

The Colorado AG at the time, John Suthers, explained the social gambling exception, “As long as no fee, buy-in or other money is required or solicited from the participants in a poker tournament, then prizes may be awarded to the players that perform well in the tournament.”

What is the legal gambling age in Colorado?

The legal gambling age in Colorado is 21 across the board. You must be 21 or older to enter a land-based casino or a sportsbook. To bet on sports online in Colorado, you must be 21 years or older.

Land-Based Colorado Casinos and Race Tracks

Online Gambling Colorado FAQ

Is online gambling legal in Colorado?

Yes. Every category of online gambling is legal for Colorado players. The process is much different for online sports bettors than it is for online casino gamblers or online poker players. The same goes for mobile gamblers of all types.

When Colorado legalized, regulated, licensed, and taxed sports betting in 2021, it also licensed mobile sports betting apps. Most of the land-based casinos in Colorado have their own mobile sportsbook app or partner with big online sports betting operators.

Colorado does not have licensed online casinos and cardrooms. For these, you’ll need to play at the offshore casino and poker sites. Players can find trusted and legitimate offshore gambling sites, but they need to read casino reviews and be cautious about where they deposit their money.

Can I legally gamble at online casinos in Colorado?

Yes. Colorado does not regulate online casinos, so players must sign up at offshore casino sites. The best Colorado online casinos feature all the popular games you’d find in a land-based casino, including slots, blackjack, video poker, roulette, baccarat, and craps. You’ll find lottery and raffle-style games like keno, bingo, and scratch cards. Online casinos also offer thousands of dollars in bonus cash as part of their welcome package or reload bonus program for loyal players.

Can I gamble for real money at online sportsbooks in Colorado?

The Colorado Division of Gaming is part of the Department of Revenue. It licenses retail sports betting operators and online sports betting operators. The state legalized land-based and online sports betting in a November 2019 referendum. The Gaming Division licensed operators and launched sites 6 months later.

Since May 2020, Colorado has had legal and licensed sports betting. At the moment, the state has over two dozen legal sports betting apps. Operators include FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars, BetMGM, BetRivers, Betfred, Bet365, and Tipico. Each is tied to one of the land-based casinos and sportsbooks of Colorado.

Online sportsbooks offer a variety of deposit bonuses, first-bet offers, odds boosts between 15% to 30%, and loyalty programs that help you connect with the wider brand. It’s a huge industry, as Colorado sportsbooks booked more than $5 billion in wagers in their first 18 months.

Can I gamble at online poker sites in Colorado?

Yes. While Colorado does not regulate online poker the way it does online sports betting, residents can play at offshore online poker rooms. These sites offer poker bonuses in the hundreds if not thousands of dollars. They provide players with access to ring games, SNGs, and big tournament events at a variety of bet levels. They might not offer every single online poker game in the world, but they do offer online Texas Hold’em, online Omaha, and online Seven-Card Stud.

How do I gamble online in Colorado using crypto deposits?

Top US online gambling sites such as Wild Casino, Las Atlantis Casino, Planet 7 Casino, BetUS Sports, and Slots of Vegas provide a welcome bonus ranging from $2,500 to $14,000, along with a vast selection of online slots, table games, specialty games, and live dealer games. Several of these websites also offer online sports betting or poker. Deposits and withdrawals with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin are supported, and they offer crypto bonuses on crypto deposits.

How to Gamble Online in the United States