Colorado casinos

Colorado Casinos Online

There’s no doubt that Colorado is one of the most liberal places in America. To many it is known as the first state to legalize recreational use of Marijuana, while most residents are well-familiar with its friendly gambling laws. Almost everything is legalized with sports betting joining the ranks in 2020.   

While Colorado is home to plenty of great venues offering slots, table games, poker and keno many of us prefer the convenient way of gambling online. That’s why we have created the following page – to share our vast knowledge of internet gambling and guide you to the best Colorado casinos online.

You’ll find valuable information about top performing gambling sites and how we choose the best ones; as well as how you gamble online; the legality of it; and much more.

Best online casinos in Colorado listed and reviewed

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This is our checklist for picking the best casinos in Colorado

As much as it is true that we at casinowebsites benefit from promoting online casinos, we have the freedom of doing this from any gambling sites. Since integrity and quality are two very important factors to us there’s no question about not providing you with the very best ones.

So how do we determine which the best gambling sites are? Well, it takes a lot of work and consideration. We first of all devour the net in search of every online casino that Coloradans are allowed to gamble at. Then we rate all of these sites on several important factors such as:

Game Selection | Bonus Offers | Safety Standards | Mobile Experience | Customer Support | Payment Methods | Withdrawal Times

The rating is done by going through a carefully thought of checklist with each and every site. This helps us separating the wheat from the chaff. This checklist of ours includes the following questions:

How many games are being offered in total?

A wide game selection is a great recipe for entertainment. With the casinos that we have recommended you can be sure to find hundreds of different ones.

What types of games are there to gamble on?

While we want as many as possible it’s definitely necessary for the most popular ones to be offered. This includes slot machines, video pokers and table games such as roulette, blackjack, baccarat and craps. Many of the best Colorado casinos that we have listed do, however, offer several other products as well such as sports betting, poker against other players, virtual sports and scratch cards.

Are new games regularly added to the casino?

This is important. If the game selection isn’t regularly expanded many players will grow tired of it – not to mention miss out on the industry’s coolest and latest creations.

Which game providers are available?

Every experienced slot enthusiast knows that some companies are much better than others at creating innovative and entertaining slot machines. It’s crucial to us that our recommended casinos work with at least a couple of these high quality providers. 

What options are there for deposits?

Many online casinos in Colorado are offering similar deposit methods, but we still pay attention to this to make sure that debit cards, wire transfers and bitcoins are available.

What options are there for withdrawals?

This is also pretty similar between gambling sites allowing Coloradans to play with them. We do, however, take a look at it to make sure that there are some good alternatives. Unfortunately debit cards are rarely included here, but wire transfers, bitcoins and check by courier usually are.

How valuable is the welcome bonus?

When we rate the value of welcome offers we take the maximum bonus amount that we are able to receive and wagering requirements into consideration. This is the most important to us. We do, however, add extra points if there’s a no deposit bonus offered on sign up as well.

Are there a lot of other promotions?

Since bonuses are the best way of increasing long term chances of making a profit there has to be a good amount of promotions running. At our recommended sites it’s common to find cash backs, competitions, lottery draws and pure deposit bonuses on a regular basis. 

How are loyal players rewarded?

While it isn’t necessary for us to find a VIP-program, players that keep depositing and playing for big amounts of money have to be exclusively rewarded somehow. This could either be by randomly receiving bonuses from an account manager or by being able to ask for bonuses from the customer support. Either way is good even though a loyalty program is what we prefer to see.

Is the customer support easy to reach?

We look at availability, ways to reach them and response times. You can expect all of the Colorado casinos that we have listed to have a support available 24/7 on live chat, e-mail as well as phone.

Is the customer support knowledgeable?

We always have a quick chat with the support and ask some standard questions to get a feel of their service-mindedness and expertise.

How long does it take to have withdrawals processed?

While the total time of a withdrawal will vary depending on the cash out method that you choose there’s always a manual processing time from the casino’s side. With all of the best Colorado casinos that we have recommended for online gambling this is rarely longer than 48 hours.

How good is the mobile experience?

We check if the navigation is as smooth as it is playing from a desktop computer and if there are any apps available to download. It isn’t that important to us that apps are available though as long as the browser experience is a pleasant one on all types of devices.

How safe and legitimate is the casino?

A part from playing at the casinos ourselves we make a thorough background check to make sure that their reputations are good. We also pay attention to SSL encryption, which is a definite must. We also make sure that their games are 100% fair with the use of random number generators that have been approved by independent companies.

How do I gamble at online casinos in Colorado?

It’s super simple! But to help you out as much as possible we have created a how-to-guide in the form of questions that we are answering as briefly yet thoroughly as possible. We have divided these questions into the following seven categories:

Choice of casino | Account creation | Bonus usage | Depositing | Gambling | Withdrawing | Verification

1.      Choice of casino

Does it matter which casino I choose?

Unless you’re looking for something in particular it doesn’t as all of the best Colorado casinos that we have recommended for online gambling are top quality ones.

So what is different between the casinos?

The biggest difference is if they’re offering sports betting and a poker platform or not. The second biggest difference is probably their amount of promotional offers. There are of course other, minor differences as well, but this is nothing that most gamblers have to care about.

2.      Account creation

How do I create a casino account?

It’s a very straight-forward process similar to any other account creation process that you’ve done online. Just click the sign-up button at the casino and you’ll be asked to provide some personal information about yourself such as name, date of birth and home address.

Am I allowed to have more than one casino account?

You are not and it’s very important that you do not breach this rule. If you create more than one account and use bonuses on both of them there’s a risk that all of your winnings from the bonus will be confiscated and only your deposits returned to you. Never create several accounts.

3.      Bonus usage

How do I take part of the welcome bonus?

This will vary from one online casino in Colorado to another. At some you have to enter a bonus code while making your first deposit, whereas some are activated with a click of a button. It may also be that the bonus has to be activated under your account settings prior to funding your account.

If it isn’t made obvious how the bonus is activated you will find all of the information that you need by reading the terms and conditions that the bonus comes with. All offers have these – usually hidden under a drop down menu. In addition, you can also ask the customer support.

What requirements do bonuses come with?

These will be different from one bonus to another and always stated in the terms and conditions. However, it’s very common to find a wagering requirement. This means that a certain amount of money has to be staked while gambling before the received bonus can be cashed out.

4.      Depositing

How do I make a deposit?

Every casino has a cashier that should be easy to find in its navigational menu. By heading to this you’ll find all available payment methods that can be used to fund your account. All you have to do is to choose the one you would like to use; enter an amount to deposit and confirm the transaction.

What deposit methods can I find?

The majority of Colorado casinos that we have recommended for online gambling offer debit cards, wire transfer and bitcoins.

How long does it take to make a deposit?

With debit cards your account will be instantly funded. Should you use bitcoins it can take up to 2 hours before your money arrives, while wire transfers can take a couple of days.

Are there any fees involved?

It depends on the payment method that you choose to deposit with. It’s quite common for a small fee to be charged for debit card deposits while bitcoins rarely have any.

5.      Gambling

Can I try out games for free?

At the best Colorado casinos that we have recommended you can. The only exception is live dealer games that are played against real dealers. With all other games all you have to do is being logged in to an account and click on the game that you want to try. You’ll then get demo credits to play with.

What games have the best payouts?

Long term chances of winning are determined by RTP. This is a value that you are able to find in the information of all casino games. The higher the RTP the better the long term chances of winning. This RTP will never go beyond 100% as that would mean a guaranteed profit, but with some video pokers and by playing blackjack optimally you can reach a 99.50% payout percentage. This is as good as it gets. 

Are there any games I should avoid?

Not really. In difference to land based casinos in Colorado, online casinos have a very high average payout percentage. It’s rare to find any games with a lower RTP than 94% which means that no products will rip you off such as land based products actually can.  

6.      Withdrawing

How do I request a cash out?

It’s a similar process to depositing. Head to the cashier at the casino and you’ll be able to choose a cash out method. Just enter the amount you would like to withdraw and confirm it.

What cash out methods can I find?

This will vary from one online casino in Colorado to another, but it’s quite common to find wire transfer, bitcoins and check by courier. Sometimes voucher and person to person is offered as well.

How long does it take to receive my money?

Once you’ve requested a withdrawal there’s first of all a processing time from the casino’s side. This is up to 48 hours. After that it all depends on the payment option that you have chosen to cash out with. Wire transfers can take a couple of days while bitcoin withdrawals rarely take longer than 2 hours. Having a check sent to your home is the longest option as this can take over a week to arrive.

Are there any fees involved when cashing out?

There may be. This varies from one gambling site to another and also from one payment method to another. Withdrawal fees are, however, not as common as deposit fees are. 

What’s the minimum withdrawal limit?

This can vary widely between different payment options, but in general you can expect the minimum limit to be anywhere from $50 – $200.

Are there any requirements for making withdrawals?

There usually is. All of the best Colorado casinos that we have suggested require that your account is fully verified. You’ll find more information about this below.

7.      Verification

How do I verify my account?

This is normally done by providing the casino a photo copy of a valid identification, which is uploaded under your account settings. Depending on the circumstances it may be that you’re asked to provide a photo copy of a utility bill as well as, and possibly a photo copy of the debit card that you have deposited with. If so you are of course allowed to cover many of the numbers on your card.

Why do I have to verify my account?

It’s a security measure that exists to protect you as well as the gambling sites. It prevents fraud, bonus abuse and underage gambling.

How long does it take to verify my account?

Once your ID and other documents have been uploaded these are usually reviewed within 48 hours.

Will I have to verify my account more than once?

Normally you don’t. You never have to verify the same type of document more than once so if you’ve already provided an ID you’ll never have to do this again. It may, however, be that you’ll be asked to verify your debit card (if you’ve deposited with this) at a later stage should it be that this was not done to begin with. It’s quite rare to be asked to do this though.

As far as we can tell from the thorough research that we have done it is not. This is supported by the official government website of Colorado. Here the department of revenue, enforcement division, has written the following about internet gambling:

“Internet gambling is illegal under state and federal laws. Colorado law prohibits the transmission or reception of gambling information by any means. The federal Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, signed into law in October 2006, prohibits online gamblers from using credit cards, checks and electronic fund transfers to place and settle bets. Further, the federal 1961 Wire Act also prohibits the use of wire communications in interstate or foreign commerce for the placing of bets or wagers or information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers.

Many online sites advertise they are “legal” and “licensed” forms of wagering. They may be legal or licensed where the bets are received, but it remains illegal to place bets from Colorado with these businesses.

In addition, the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission prohibits persons and businesses licensed in the casino industry in Colorado from having any involvement with internet gaming sites that can be accessed by Colorado residents.”

A more important question to ask rather than the actual legality of internet gambling is if you’ll get in trouble for playing casino online in Colorado? You won’t. There are no records of anyone facing any legal action for indulging in poker, casino or any other type of gambling over the internet. Single individuals are simply ignored. The state is only interested in chasing down businesses that are running gambling operations from Colorado without the approval of doing so.

Being a very liberal state most types of gambling are legal in Colorado. The only exceptions are online casino, online poker and greyhound betting. We have elaborated on this below.

State lottery: Legal

A state run lottery program has been running in Colorado since 1983. While it isn’t possible to purchase tickets online it is anything but difficult to find a retailer. Lotteries currently include the following:

  • Cash 5
  • Pick 3
  • Colorado Lotto+
  • Mega Millions
  • Lucky for Life
  • Powerball

In addition to this a bunch of different scratch cards are also sold.

Casinos: Legal

While casino gambling over the internet is yet to be legalized, Colorado is home to more than 30 land based casinos – both commercial and tribal ones. These are allowed to offer slot machines, blackjack, poker, craps, roulette and keno. No other games are allowed. There’s also a maximum bet limit on all games – $100. 

Sports betting: Legal

This is the most recent type of legal gambling in the state as it wasn’t legalized until 2020. These days it is, however, possible to sports bet legally through several mobile apps as well as several gambling sites. Many of Colorado’s land based casinos are also offering the service.

Horse race betting: Legal

For a live betting experience there is only one race track operating in Colorado – the Arapahoe Park. It is, however, legal to bet on horses online. In addition to this several off-track betting facilities are also to be found in the state.

Greyhound betting: Illegal

Greyhound racing and betting on greyhounds used to be allowed in Colorado, but was made illegal in 2008.

Poker: Legal

As much as there have been discussions about legalizing online poker this is yet to happen. Many of the land based casinos in Colorado do, however, have great poker rooms where action is constantly going down. The biggest one is offered by Ameristar Casino Resort which has 22 tables.

Charitable gambling: Legal

Colorado allows charitable organizations to offer bingo games and raffles. No casino nights or poker tournaments can be offered. To be eligible for a charitable gambling event the fund-raising company has to have been operating for at least 5 years. When it comes to prize pools these are capped at a total of $15,000 per event.

Social gambling: Legal

Like many American states social gambling is legal in Colorado as long as the following two criteria are fulfilled:

  • All participants have a bona fide relationship with each other
  • No one is profiting from hosting the gambling activity – not directly nor indirectly

This does for instance mean that it’s fully allowed to host poker tournaments among friends. As long as no rake is being charged or any food and drinks are being sold.

A brief look at the history of gambling in Colorado

1822: This is the year that the first casino was opened up in America – long before Colorado actually became a state. The casino was, however, situated on the land where the state of Utah, Wyoming and Colorado meet.

1948: Pari-mutuel betting on horse races is legalized.

1950: The first horse racing track opens up in Colorado – Centennial Race Track. This later closed in 1983.

1965: Colorado’s second horse racing track opens up – Pikes Peak Meadows. This was later transformed into a speedway track in 1993.

1983: After residents approve of it in a vote a state run lottery program is introduced.

1990: A law passes that allows casinos to be opened in the three cities of Black Hawk, Cripple Creek and Central City. This was made possible through a vote where 59% of Coloradans were in favor of the bill and 41% against it. At this time the casinos are only allowed to offer slots, blackjack and poker; to be open between 8am – 2am; and to accept a maximum wager of $5 per game round.

1992: Another horse racing track opens up in Colorado – Arapahoe Park. This is the only track for horse racing that is still operating today.

1995: Gambling compacts are signed with two tribal groups. This allows them to offer casino businesses on their lands without any tax contributions. This year also saw the introduction of Keno as a new game allowed to be offered by casinos in Colorado.

2005: While internet gambling isn’t directly addressed in the state law, the Attorney General of Colorado is making a claim that the current gambling laws are enough to cover it. 

2008: Residents of Black Hawk, Cripple Creek and Central City vote on the matter of their casino’s bet limits, opening hours and games. With this vote bet limits are increased to $100; opening hours extended to 24/7 and games increased to also include roulette and craps.

2013: Legalizing online poker is up for discussion, but the bill eventually fails.

2019: In a vote the people of Colorado approve of legalizing sports betting.

2020: Sports betting is now offered by several different operators and can be accessed online as well as through mobile apps.

Advantages of playing casino online

Gambling over the internet is not only incredibly convenient – which is why many of us choose to indulge in it – but there are also several other perks to it. We have listed some of these below.

The RTP of slot machines is higher

At the vast majority of gambling sites, including all of the best Colorado casinos that we have recommended, the average payout percentage of slot machines is 96%. It never drops below 94% and many games have an RTP of 97% – 98%.

This is a big difference to the land based casinos in Colorado. From the research that we have done the average payout percentage in their slots is only 90%. And depending on the game you pick you might end up with one that only has an RTP of 80%.

It is in other words way easier to win money playing online than it is playing land based.

Bet limits are much higher online

If you’re a high stakes gambler this is a great reason for gambling over the internet. At the land based casinos in Colorado there’s a maximum bet limit of $100 per game round. If you’re gambling online some slot machines allow you to bet as much as $500 while most table games have maximum bet limits of several thousands of dollars.

There’s a wider selection of games

As you may already know many games are banned in Colorado. Land based gambling venues are only allowed to offer slots, poker, blackjack, craps, roulette and keno. With online casinos there are no restrictions at all. The game selection is much wider and does for instance include baccarat, lucky wheels, bingo and sic bo. On top of the already mentioned games that is.

It’s much easier to grab many bonus offers

Since many casinos in Colorado are located near each other it’s possible to visit several of them during a casino night to grab all of their current offers. But who does? As people we’re too comfortable to care about doing this.

With online gambling it’s a different story though. It only takes a few clicks of a button to switch to another casino. This makes it much easier to grab many bonus offers. And as these increases your long term chances of winning it makes it easier to win if you do so.

Downsides of playing casino online

While the best Colorado casinos that we have listed for online gambling undoubtedly have a lot of benefits to them the experience isn’t perfect. Compared to playing at a land based venue downsides include the following:

The environment is not as exciting

There’s a lot of fun and thrill in playing online – no doubt. But sitting in front of your computer or mobile device will never be comparable to being embraced by thousands of flashing lights and starring deep into the eyes of the blackjack dealer. The convenience of online gambling does come with the downside of the experience being a bit more shallow.

There may be fees on deposits and withdrawals

When you’re playing land based there are no fees what so ever. Online it is, however, common to find a small one on your deposits and sometimes there is one on your cash outs as well. This can be avoided though if you use bitcoins as a payment method.

Your winnings aren’t instantaneously received

This is one of the most comforting things about gambling at a land based casino as once you decide to cash out and go home you bring your profits with you. When you’re requesting a withdrawal at an online casino this will be pending until the casino has approved of it. This can take 24 – 48 hours.
Within this time it’s fairly common for players to cancel their cash outs and keep on playing, which in many cases results in them losing their winnings.

Land based casinos in Colorado

If you’re interested in switching up your online gambling with authentic casino action you have plenty of options in Colorado. It may be a long drive though. Except for one casino in Towaoc the state’s 30+ gambling venues are pretty much located in the same area – in the cities of Black Hawk, Cripple Creek and Central City. For your convenience we have listed all of the gambling venues below with the best casinos in Colorado a top (this is based on an overall game selection).

CasinoCityAddressSlotsTable gamesPoker tables
Ameristar Casino ResortBlack Hawk111 Richman St15132522
Isle of Capri Hotel CasinoBlack Hawk401 Main St10801817
Lodge CasinoBlack Hawk240 Main St9801618
Bronco Billy's CasinoCripple Creek233 E Bennett Ave9009-
Ute Mountain Casino HotelTowaoc3 Weeminuche Dr8706-
Golden Mardi Gras CasinoBlack Hawk300 Main St65015-
Monarch Casino & ResortBlack Hawk488 Main St64814-
Reserve Casino HotelCentral City321 Gregory St616154
Sky Ute Casino ResortIgnacio14324 CO-1726008-
Wildwood CasinoCripple Creek119 N Fifth St5031110
Lady Luck Casino HotelBlack Hawk340 Main St49596
Century CasinoCentral City102 Main St49584
Century CasinoCripple Creek200 E Bennett Ave4928-
Saratoga CasinoBlack Hawk101 Main St478101
Double Eagle CasinoCripple Creek442 E Bennett Ave4775-
Z CasinoBlack Hawk101 Gregory St38961
Midnight Rose Hotel & CasinoCripple Creek256 E Bennett Ave386-9
Gilpin Hotel CasinoBlack Hawk111 Main St3795-
Johnny Z's CasinoCentral City132 Lawrence St37261
J. P. McGills Hotel CasinoCripple Creek232 Bennett Ave308--
Golden Gates CasinoBlack Hawk261 Main St272817
Brass Ass CasinoCripple Creek264 E Bennett Ave266112
Johnny Nolon's CasinoCripple Creek301 E Bennett Ave253--
Colorado Grande Casino & HotelCripple Creek300 E Bennett Ave225--
Wild Card Casino & SaloonBlack Hawk120 Main St216--
Famous Bonanza CasinoCentral City107 Main St20841
Easy Street CasinoCentral City120 Main St206--
Buffalo Billy’s CasinoCripple Creek233 E Bennett Ave187--
Bull Durham CasinoBlack Hawk110 Main St186--
Golden Gulch CasinoBlack Hawk321 Main St150--
Sasquatch CasinoBlack Hawk125 Gregory St141--
Red Dolly CasinoBlack Hawk530 Gregory St126--
Grand Plateau CasinoBlack Hawk131 Main Street99--
Dostal Alley Casino & BreweryCentral City116 Main St64--

FAQ about gambling and casinos in Colorado

What types of online gambling are legal in Colorado?

As of now it’s only legal to bet on sports and horse races online. It is, however, very unlikely that you’ll get in trouble with the law should you decide to indulge in any other form of internet gambling such as casino or poker. No one has ever been faced with any penalties for this and we can assure you that at least tens of thousands of Coloradans play casino online every day.

Do I have to pay taxes on my gambling winnings?

You do and this is regardless if the winnings come from land based casino gambling or gambling online and regardless if they come from casino, sports betting or poker. The way that it works is that you’ll have to pay a yearly tax on your overall net profits; in other words your withdrawals minus your deposits. If you deposit more than you win you obviously don’t have to pay any taxes.   
As of 2020 the tax rate in Colorado is 4.63%. On top of this you have a federal tax at a level of 24%. With a total tax rate of 28.63% this means that you would have to pay a total of $286.3 should you make a $1,000 gambling profit for the year of 2020.

Is it a good idea to sign up with several online casinos?

It depends on your motive, but generally it is, yes. The main reason being that you’re able to take part of several welcome bonuses, which are usually the most valuable types of bonuses offered by casinos. In addition to this, you’ll have a wider selection of other promotional offers which you’ll often be notified about via e-mail. This is quite convenient.
As bonuses are great for increasing your long term chances of winning we would personally recommend signing up with several sites.

How can I be sure that I won’t get scammed gambling online?

If you’re choosing to play at any of the best Colorado casinos that we have recommended on top of the page there are several ways for you to ensure you’re safety. First of all, they have our approval after having played and thoroughly researched them. We got a lot of integrity and would never put our visitors at any risk. But if you don’t believe us you can also find that several other people approve of the casinos – they have a great reputation among players and have been around for a long time.
You can also add a bit of common sense to all of this. Running a casino is a fool proof business. There’s only way that a casino can get hurt and that is not having any players. Their games are designed to always benefit them in the long run. So the more we play the more they win even if we happen to get lucky and win big every now and then. This means that they want their players to keep coming back to them. If they scammed us we certainly wouldn’t.

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