US Colorado Online Casinos

Colorado makes clear that they construe the laws, “Liberally,” as it relates to any form of gambling that is not either social or specifically authorized by the state. In other words, the state does not even have to explicitly make online gambling, or any other form, unlawful in order for it to fall under the laws.

However, it is important to note that “Social” gambling is perfectly legal, which means that these are games played among friends with no vig or house edge being taken. That distinction is important because it would seem to indicate that acting as a mere player in an unauthorized game would not fall afoul of the law as long as one is not doing so with someone operating out of the State of Colorado. Despite this, we do find that the Colorado laws are heavily restrictive otherwise.

The reason for that is that the Colorado Department of Revenue states, "Internet gambling is illegal under state and federal laws."

In effect, Colorado is one of the few states to state that gambling online is illegal officially. They should not purport to speak for federal laws, because they are 100% wrong in that regard. Acting as a mere player gambling online violates no federal laws whatsoever, as the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) focuses on operators of online casinos as well as not allowing any U.S. banks to knowingly transact with any such casinos. The UIGEA, and no other Federal law that we are aware of, for that matter, provides any penalty whatsoever for acting as a mere player.

This is further evidenced by other states, such as New Jersey, authorizing and regulating online gambling through their physical casinos as long as such gambling is conducted within their own borders. Simply put, if gambling online were a federal offense, which it is definitely NOT, then New Jersey would not be permitted to authorize it. How could they?

The prosecution of mere players is an incredibly unlikely event, and any notions that playing online runs afoul of the federal law are both ludicrous and misleading. For those reasons, offshore operators do generally offer their services to players within the State of Colorado.

Is Online Gambling Legal in Colorado?

The short answer is no. Online gambling is explicitly banned in the state of Colorado, even though the state approved online sports betting. The state is not at all considering legalizing the iGaming industry, despite the fact that it legalized land-based and online sports betting in 2019.

The state has been offering land-based table games and slots with limited stakes in City of Black Hawk, Cripple Creek, Central City and on Indian territories since 1991. Pari-mutuel wagering on dog and horse racing is legal at licensed establishments, but as per the 2018 State Law (HB1234), arcade-style gaming machines outside the legal gambling zones are strictly prohibited.

Online casino gambling, on the other hand, is not likely to be legalized any time soon. Voters in the state have been against it over and over again, and that's why the state was never even close to legalizing it.

Lottery

The Colorado State Lottery was founded in 1983, initially offering scratch tickets only. With time, draws like Mega Millions, Powerball, Colorado Lotto+, Pick 3, and Cash 5 were added to the offering, and to this day, these are the options for lotto players.

Sports betting

Since November 2019, Colorado has offered a legal offline and online sports betting market. The House of Representatives voted on the bill that legalized it in April, which was approved by the Senate and signed into law by the Governor a month later.

Land-Based and Tribal Casinos in Colorado

Operators in the three legal zones, City of Black Hawk, Cripple Creek, and Central City are free to apply for a license and get one, to operate a land-based casino. So are operators in the Indian territories, to operate tribal casinos. Some of the luckiest establishments in Colorado are based in Central City and Cripple Creek, according to players’ reviews. 

The two federally recognized Indian tribes are the only ones with an actively operating tribal casino, Ute Mountain Casino Hotel, Colorado, and Sky Ute Casino Resort. While these tribes were allowed to offer land-based casino gambling, they were treated unfairly regarding access to legal online sports betting, and that’s why they filed a lawsuit against the state in 2024. The state asked the court to dismiss the case.

Sweepstakes and Social Casinos Available in Colorado

Given how, by Colorado law, promoting games that include elements of consideration, chance, and prize is illegal, the state permits sweepstakes and social casino sites under the condition that they are structured to comply with the consumer protection and state gambling laws.

And since sweepstakes casino sites and social casino sites fall under this category, where bets are placed in "fake" coins, they are perfectly legal. Given how they cannot require a payment of fees or purchases of products, sweepstakes and social casinos are at the players' disposal at all times.

Sports betting in Colorado

As of 2019, Colorado officially offers a legal online and offline sports betting market. Operators interested in launching sportsbooks online, in land-based premises, and mobile devices needed to apply for a license, and after they got it, they were allowed to launch their sportsbooks in May 2020.

A 10% tax on gross wins tax applies, the majority of which goes toward The Colorado Water Plan. The initial projections for the tax revenues were $29 million, which suited the state perfectly, as it could address the future water needs.

The Colorado Gaming Commission is the regulatory body that licenses and oversees sports betting operations, while for brick-and-mortar operators, the Division of Gaming for the Department of Revenue jumps in. Operators of online or physical sportsbooks get issued with one of six classes of licenses, depending on the services they want to offer and whether a company or an individual will be registered as the operator.

As of 2018, Colorado issued 33 commercial land-based and 2 tribal casino licenses. Licenses are issued for a period of two years, and all applicants must be 21 or older in order to be eligible to apply.

The state continues updating and changing the laws to make sure the market is safe for players. For instance, in 2022, the Senate changed the Colorado bill for problem gambling. Always focused on ensuring safety first, the state is expected to continue making necessary changes until everyone is perfectly satisfied with the operations.

How to Find the Best Online Casino in Colorado

Offshore operators and operators licensed in states with legal online gambling generally accept players from Colorado. And since, as a player from the state, you cannot legally access any state-licensed online casinos, you would need to start searching for sites that are licensed in other jurisdictions. Many US states have regulated online gambling in recent years, and operators from those states might cater to Colorado players, but you can also check out sites licensed in Europe, like the ones that have a license from the MGA or UKGC, for instance.

You need to make a list of licensed sites, and then check them out one by one, so see whether they meet the criteria to join them. The second thing you need to check, after you’ve ensured that the casino is licensed, is whether it comes with clear and fair rules. Read the Terms and Conditions page carefully, and know your rights as a registered player. Check out the Withdrawals section to see the casino's policy on processing and approval pending period, as you’d want to join a casino that offers the fastest payouts.

From here, check out the Payment Methods page to see whether you'll have enough options to use for your deposits and withdrawals. You might need to make international transactions, so it is important that methods that offer cross-border transactions are offered.

A great choice of games is a must, too. You need to see whether the casino is powered by well-known software developers, as that way, you’ll be certain that you’ll be getting fresh, popular content at your disposal at all times. Leading providers focus on delivering as many slots as they can per month, as well as exciting Live Dealer games, which are currently a hit with Colorado players. It is incredibly important for you to get to play any type of game you prefer, so the minute you find the casino that offers your favorite games, stick with it.

Make sure to avoid sites that have no license, come with unclear or ambiguous rules, and do not offer games by respected providers. These sites are fishy, unsafe, and unreliable to join.

How to Sign Up and Play for Real Money in Colorado

You probably understand that, given how you don't have online casinos to join in Colorado, you'd need to look for sites based and licensed anywhere else in the world. Assuming you made a list of potential candidates and successfully decided on the one to join, you only have several steps left to make before you can start playing your favorite games.

First, of course, you need to create an account with your chosen online casino. To do that, you will need to follow this step-by-step guide:

1. On your desktop or mobile device, load the online casino site.
2. Map the Register Now/Join/Sign Up button and press it.
3. Fill out the required personal details in the registration form (name, surname, email address, and phone number are usually required, but if needed, enter other details).
4. Go through the T&Cs and accept them.
5. Confirm your registration, and you can start using your newly registered player account.

Next, you will need to top up your account with money. To successfully make a deposit, go through these easy steps:

1. Find the Cashier/Banking page as soon as you access your registered player account.
2. Look for the Deposits section and check out the payment methods offered.
3. Select the one you'd want to use and, correspondingly, enter the payment method details (card number or account login credentials).
4. Set the amount of money that you’d like to deposit and confirm your request.
5. In an instant or in a couple of minutes/hours/days, the funds will arrive in your balance. The processing times, of course, will depend on the method you used.

Now, there's another procedure you will need to go through, either before you make a deposit or before you request a withdrawal – you will need to verify your identity. You can do that by attaching a copy or scan of your ID, passport, or driver's license. The online casino operator needs to confirm that you are who you represent and verify your identity as part of the regulatory condition called Know Your Customer. All players registered at the site must be identified; therefore, for your own safety, too, make sure you go through the verification procedure.

What Payment Methods Can You Use to Deposit and Withdraw in Colorado?

We mentioned that when choosing a site to join, you must check its Payment Methods page. That being said, you should expect to find all kinds of standard and alternative payment methods on the list. Regardless of whether you’re into using prepaid cards, your bank account, or some eWallet for your online gambling transactions, you should have them all at your disposal.

Most online casinos that accept players from Colorado make sure to at least provide them with the option to use debit and credit cards like Discover, MasterCard, AmEx, and VISA. They also ensure that wire transfer is an option.

However, since the modern player loves using eWallets and cryptocurrencies, PayPal and Bitcoin are options at virtually any online casino. That’s mostly because these allow for instant deposits and super-fast, nearly-instant or instant cashouts. Of course, the withdrawal processing times usually depend on the casino's policy, as some process withdrawal requests instantly and others take 24 to 48 hours to approve/deny them, but it won't hurt to use a method where the funds will instantly be available upon approval.

What Casino Software Providers and Games Are Available in Colorado?

Given how online gambling was illegal in the United States for so long, software developers that were breaking ground in Europe were not initially allowed to penetrate the US market. At the time, US players could only access games delivered by a limited number of developers, like High5Games, Rival, RTG, and Dragon Gaming. With time, though, as US states started regulating online gambling, software providers from all around the world started applying for proper licenses to offer their content in the respective regulated markets.

Therefore, considering many US states offer legal online gambling today, playing across US-licensed sites, you will get the amazing opportunity to experience first-class gaming, delivered by the likes of Evolution, NetEnt, Games Global, Yggdrasil, and Playtech, to mention a few. That being said, you should expect to find all sorts of quality slots, table games like roulette and blackjack, popular poker titles, Live Casino games, and other types of casino games, like the Chinese strategy game mahjong, across the finest online casinos that you can access.

The majority of games at your disposal will be slots, of course, as there are so many different types of slots available across global online casinos. However, Live Casino games have become incredibly popular in the past decade, so you'll even get the chance to experience a real-life-like casino gambling streamed live, from your living room. Operators make sure to partner up with as many developers as possible to be able to offer players state-of-the-art, modern, immersive, and engaging games.

What Casino Bonuses Can Players in Colorado Claim?

Every single online casino you come across as a player from Colorado will give you the chance to claim at least one bonus offer, a Welcome Bonus or a Sign Up offer. Bonuses have become so attractive, and magnets for players, that every well-reputed operator knows they are much needed. That's why most operators ensure you get not one, two, three, but dozens of bonus offers to claim.

Even though it all starts with a Welcome Bonus, which usually consists of a Deposit Match and most likely a number of Free Spins, as you continue playing, you will get access to plenty of other offers, like daily login offers, weekly bonuses, etc. Refer-a-Friend bonus is also offered across most, if not all, online casinos, rewarding you for recommending the site to a friend.

Experienced players know that No Deposit bonuses are the most attractive, though. These do not ask you to make a deposit first to get a freebie later; no, they reward you for choosing to go with that online casino over any other right away. Sure, most No Deposit bonuses come with wagering requirements, but there are such that additionally allow you to claim the bonus with No Wagering Requirements. Such bonuses are extremely rare, and usually offered by the most well-known and respected online casino sites that have not much to lose but much to gain should you choose to stay with their site over others.

Do you know what wagering requirements are, actually? They are something to be aware of, actually. Written in fine print, right below the offer, or next to it, these are the conditions you must meet to be eligible to request a withdrawal. You need to pay attention to them, as they ask you to make a deposit of a certain amount and use it, so that you can cash out winnings that you won using the bonus. The average and player-accepted wagering requirements are 30x the bonus amount, but any offer that comes with wagering requirements lower than that is an offer you shouldn’t refuse. In short, for a $10 bonus you claim and use, you need to wager $300 to become eligible to cash out your winnings.

Responsible Gambling in Colorado

All US states, including Colorado, have a National Council on Problem Gambling that players can turn to in case they need assistance at both the national and local levels. Now, Colorado also has the Gaming Association, Colorado Gamblers Anonymous, and the Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado, institutions and organizations that offer support. A 24-hour helpline, resources, and tools to assist you are all at your disposal, at all times.

Additionally, most, if not all, online casinos that you can access offer self-exclusion. This tool is effective and convenient, as at any point during your online gambling experience, you can self-exclude from the casino site and even its sister sites, as long as you feel the need to take a break from gambling. 

Written by LCB latest_casino_bonuses

Further Reading

• Sports Betting in Colorado
• Top Online Casinos for Colorado