Colorado Casino Guide
Facts About Gambling & Online Casinos in Colorado
Colorado does have a number of casinos available for residents and visitors. In fact, you’d be surprised by the options that are available to you. There are more casinos in just one Colorado town that in all of Atlantic City. There’s also a state lottery available, and games include Cash 5, Lotto, Mega Millions, Pick 3, and Powerball.
Per the state gambling laws, casinos may only offer Blackjack, Craps, Poker, Roulette, and slot machines. Casinos must hold state licenses and obey the rules set forth by the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission. Blackjack, Craps, Poker, and Roulette must be approved by the commission prior to a casino adding them to the gaming floor. Additionally, the casinos in Colorado are limited to specific cities: Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek.
There are two exceptions to this rule. Colorado has agreements with the Southern Ute Tribe in Ignacio and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in Towaoc, and both tribes have tribal casinos in Colorado.
History of Gambling in Colorado
Once home to prosperous mining towns, Colorado saw changes as the gold rush ended. Eventually, eyes turned to using casinos as a means to bringing in much-needed revenue. In 1991, many casinos opened, but the casinos all faced restrictions in terms of operating hours and maximum bets.
In July 2009, Amendment 50 changed the face of casinos in Colorado. Until this amendment, players could not bet more than $5 on Blackjack, poker, or slots. The casinos also had limited operational hours of 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. Amendment 50 increased the maximum bet limit to $100 and allowed casinos to remain open 24 hours a day.
Age Restrictions for Gambling in Colorado
To be in Colorado casino gaming areas, you must be 21 years of age or older. The state lottery is open to players 18 or older.
Colorado’s Casino Gambling Outlook
For now, there is little on the horizon in terms of changes in Colorado casinos. In 2014, Amendment 68 was proposed. Had it passed, this measure would have made it legal to open casinos within horse racing tracks. The measure was defeated with 70.5 percent of the vote saying no.
In 2014, a bill prohibiting the state’s lottery commission from creating any policy that allowed the online purchase of lottery or scratch tickets passed. At the same time, legislators began talking about legalizing online poker, but talks ended without any decision being made. As of 2015, nothing has changed, so there is question as to how receptive Colorado really is to online casinos and poker rooms.
Local Casinos
Players have their choice of more than three dozen casinos in Colorado. Here are a few of the favorite Colorado casinos.
Black Hawk
Ameristar Casino Black Hawk has more than 1,450 slot and video poker machines. Players also enjoy having more than 17 poker tables and 33 table games to choose from in this spacious casino. Five restaurants or eateries and a bar provide plenty for you do enjoy during your visit.
Central City
Reserve Casino Hotel is home to well over 550 video slots and video poker machines. Table games available at the casino include Blackjack and its variations, Craps, and Roulette. The first floor of the casino is home to a poker room.
Cripple Creek
Double Eagle Hotel and Casino is a smaller casino with slots, Keno, and video poker machines from companies like Bally and IGT. There are also Blackjack and Roulette tables.
Ignacio
Sky Ute Casino Resort is in the southwestern part of the state and has plenty for players to enjoy. Start with the non-smoking poker room and then move onto the bingo hall where there are 200 seats. Players will also find Blackjack, Craps, and Roulette tables. For slots fans, the gaming floor has slot machines like Elven Queen slots and other games from Aristocrat, Bally, IGT, Konami, and WMS.
Towaoc
Ute Mountain Casino houses a 400-seat bingo hall, many table games, and a range of a number of slot machines. This Colorado casino is also known for its large number of progressive games.