Sports betting is now officially live in Colorado with online Sportsbooks and mobile betting apps set and ready to accepts bets across the state.
It has officially been live since May 1. 2020. The passing of the law now gives players the chance to place real money wagers on their favorite sports. Here, we will take a look at the best legal sportsbooks and apps that are available in the Centennial State. Keep your eyes peeled as more sportsbooks are due to go live throughout the year.
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There are now several sports betting apps now available to wager on in Colorado. A handful of operators wanted to have a presence from the day online gambling was made officially legal. The apps allow you to bet on the go as long as you are physically located within state borders. Like any legal operator, you can sign up from anywhere across the country, but you need to be in a legalized state before placing your bets. You do not need to be a resident of Colorado to bet on a CO sportsbook, you just have to physically be in state lines.
Sportsbooks and betting apps that are live in Colorado include:
There is a long list of sports betting books and mobile apps that hope to go live in 2020; these include:
- BetAmerica
- Betfred
- Carousel Group
- Circa Sports
- Digital Gaming Corporation
- Fox Bet
- Internet Sports International
- Monarch Casino
- Penn Sports Interactive
- PointsBet
- Smarkets
- SuperBook USA
- theScore Bet
- William Hill
- Wynn Resorts
You will be required to ensure your location settings are on before you bet. Your device will use geolocation technology to check you are in Colorado before allowing to place wagers. Colorado online sports betting has been legal in the state now for several months and so far has been a huge success. You can now bet using one of the sportsbooks for all your favorite sports like football, basketball, and soccer.
Sports Betting in Colorado: How Did We Get Here:
Sports betting in the Centennial State was legalized in November of 2019. This followed the Colorado state legislature approving the betting bill in the summer of the same year. It is reported 1.3million people voted on the bill—the bill passed by 20,000 votes.
Following the US Supreme Court’s repeal of PASPA in 2018, the general attitude towards sports betting across the states has changed. It took almost a year for a bill to legalize sports betting. Bill H 1327 passed through the Colorado House and the Senate Finance with ease.
The law in Colorado required a vote due to a restriction on implementing new taxes known as a Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR.) Any motion put forward that will increase taxes on Colorado residents must receive a popular vote.
The sports betting law in CO creates three types of licenses, which are:
- Master license
- Sports betting operator
- Internet sports betting operator
All 33 of the tribal casinos in Colorado can apply for a master license. The total cost of obtaining a master license has yet to be decided. The law requires a casino to partner with a land-based operator and an internet operator and then share the same online/mobile iGaming platform.
There is a 10% tax rate placed on CO sports betting. The current law does not allow wagers on either esports or high school sports. Sports betting in the state is regulated by the Colorado Division of Gaming Enforcement.
Sports betting officially started in colorado on May 1, 2020.
How Colorado Sports Betting Works
There are 31 commercial casinos in Colorado. These are in Black Hawk, Century City, and Cripple Creek. There are also two tribal casinos in the state. The tribes can add any games as long as they have been authorized elsewhere in CO.
The law dictates that each casino can apply for a master license for sports betting. If a casino obtains a master license, it can offer both mobile and retail wagering. Moreover, a license holder can partner with up to two strategic operators. These give operators the option to use a company for online sports betting or land-based sports betting.
For example, the Ameristar sportsbook (found inside The Ameristar Casino Resort Spa Black Hawk) will most likely be partnered with Barstool Sports. This comes after Penn National Gaming acquired Barstool Sports, who will inevitably turn them into a sportsbook operator.
How to Download a Sportsbook App
If you are interested in mobile sports betting, it is worth downloading the dedicated app from the sportsbook of your choice. Just remember that you can download an app from anywhere, but you will need to be in Colorado to bet.
The best sports betting apps to use in Colorado are
To download, visit the website of your preferred sportsbook. There will likely be buttons for both Android and iOS users. iPhone users can download apps through the usual methods on the App Store. However, please make sure the sportsbook you choose does have a dedicated app and not just a mobile site. You can use the apps to bet anywhere in the state. They are also useful for checking out scores and also odds such as Super Bowl odds before deciding what to place your bet on.
Bonuses & Promotions
When you sign up at a new sportsbook, you will get access to some bonus offers and promotions. They are worthwhile, and sportsbooks will compete for customers by offering a variety of attractive proposals. However, you must check the terms and conditions of any offer. The small print may indicate that the bonus offer might not be worth your time. Some typical types of promotions a sportsbook offer include:
- Free Bets (Money you can wager but not redeem)
- Odds Boost
- Deposit Bonus
- Insurance (A portion of the bet will be refunded if it loses)
It is worth scouting the market to see what bonus offers and promotions are out there. Some sportsbooks will also run ongoing promotions such as a loyalty program to reward players who stick around.
Betting Markets in Colorado
The significant professional sports, as well as college football, make up the majority of wagers at legal US sportsbooks. At the moment, the available sports you will be able to bet on in Colorado include:
- Football
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Ice Hockey
- Soccer
Due to the current Coronavirus pandemic, there are no significant sports taking place across the globe. Virtual sports have filled the current gap, and they will also be available in the future.
Type of Bets Available
As online gambling has continued to grow, so too have the different kinds of bets available. The most common types of bets available include:
- Futures
- Moneylines
- Parlays
- Point spreads
- Propositions
- Round robins
- Teasers
- Totals (over/under)
One of the most popular forms of betting not mentioned in the list above is live betting. Most US sportsbooks offer this. This allows players to make a bet during a game or event that is in progress. This adds to the excitement for customers who are watching.
Partial game results possibly the most popular form of live betting. A sportsbook may provide odds on a team being ahead at half time, but the final result is irrelevant. This is a desirable proposition for online bettors as you can often get attractive odds.
Colorado Sports Teams
There are loads of professional sports teams in Colorado that residents and visitors to the state can bet on. Colorado is one of the smallest states population-wise to have a team in every major sports league. Teams available to bet on in the state include
- Denver Broncos (NFL)
- Denver Nuggets (NBA)
- Denver Barbarians (Rugby Super League)
- Denver Outlaws (Major League Lacrosse)
- Colorado Rockies (MLB)
- Colorado Avalanche (NHL)
- Colorado Rapids (MLS)
- Colorado Springs Sky Sox (AAA Baseball)
- Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (United Soccer League)
- Colorado Mammoth (National Lacrosse League)
- Colorado Eagles (East Coast Hockey League)
- Grand Junction Rockies (Minor league baseball)
- Glendale Raptors (Pacific Rugby Premiership)
Betting on college sports is allowed in Colorado, although prop betting is prohibited. Wagering on high school sports and esports is strictly prohibited in the Centennial State.
What is the Future of Colorado Sports Betting?
According to industry analysts, sports betting in Colorado is poised to generate $6 billion in annual betting. It may have lost some early impetus due to launching in the middle of a global pandemic, but revenue will be created once the industry has matured. Now that sports betting is legal in the state, there is hope that players will move away from illegal offshore operators like bovada and 5Dimes and choose a regulated operator instead.
More operators will enter their market with their apps as the year progresses.
FAQs
- Are online sportsbooks legal in Colorado?
Yes, they are! Online sportsbooks were officially legal in Colorado on May 1, 2020. The first sportsbooks to launch were FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and BetRivers. There could be as many as 20 betting sites live by the end of the year.
- Do I have to be a resident to bet in Colorado?
No. Visitors to Co will be able to access the sportsbooks the state has available. You have to be of legal age and located within state lines to bet online.
- Can I bet using my mobile?
Yes, you sure can. Mobile betting is legal in the state. Operators maintain mobile sites and apps as part of their online betting offers.
- Can I bet on Colorado sports teams?
You sure can. According to the bill, you will also be able to bet on the state’s colleges teams, which include:
Colorado Avalanche (NHL), Colorado Rockies (MLB), Denver Broncos (NFL), Denver Nuggets (NBA), Colorado Rapids (MLS), University of Colorado, Colorado State, and Air Force.
