Background

1. Legal Online Casino Colorado Springs

The gaming tax was first levied in 1991 when casino gambling became legal in the municipalities of Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek.¹ The gaming tax is levied on casinos’ adjusted gross proceeds, defined as the amount of money collected from gamblers minus the amount paid to gamblers in winnings. For each month of operation, casinos remit gaming taxes to the Division of Gaming within the Department of Revenue by the 15th day of the following month. Casinos on the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian Reservations are not subject to the state gaming tax.

Most gaming tax revenue is subject to the TABOR limit on state revenue and spending. In 2009, Colorado voters approved Amendment 50, which allows additional casino games, higher bet limits, and longer hours of operation. In 2020, Colorado voters approved Amendment 77, which allowed the three local gaming cities to approve new casino bet limits and games. During the same election, the three cities approved local measures to eliminate casino bet limits and give their respective city councils the authority to approve new casino games. Gaming tax revenue attributed to Amendment 50 and Amendment 77 is not subject to the TABOR limit.

Tax Rate

Colorado has not taken advantage of this option or made any indication they are considering a state regulated online casino initiative, but there are also no Colorado state gambling laws that prohibit residents from participating in legally sanctioned online casino gambling. So as long as you understand that licensed offshore online casinos are the only legally approved options for online casino gambling, then yes, online casinos are legal for Colorado.

Tax rates are set by the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission, a five-member regulatory body appointed by the Governor. The commission reviews tax rates annually and may raise or lower rates so long as they do not exceed 40 percent. Beginning July 1, 2012, adjusted gross proceeds are taxed at accelerating rates following the stepwise schedule shown below. For example, a casino must pay a 0.25 percent tax on its first $2 million in adjusted gross proceeds, and a 2 percent tax on its next $3 million. Casinos’ adjusted gross proceeds reset to zero on July 1, the first day of the state fiscal year.

1. More Online Casinos TYPES OF COLORADO ONLINE GAMBLING PERMITTED. Off-track wagering is the only kind of web-based gambling that is legal in Colorado. Such types of bets can be made on horse races and greyhound. Unfortunately, casino games, online poker, and sports betting are illegal in Colorado.
2. Gamblers inColorado enjoy a generally-relaxed policing atmosphere, with legal casino gambling, social gambling, charitygames, lotteries, and other markets available in a regulated form. On this page we cover the legal status of gambling in this state, as well as discusswhether or not it is actually legal to gamble online in Colorado.

Tax Exemptions

Casinos operating on the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian Reservations in Archuleta, La Plata, and Montezuma counties are exempt from the gaming tax.

Distribution

The gaming tax revenue distribution is shown below. After administrative expenses are paid, gaming tax revenue subject to TABOR is deposited in the Limited Gaming Fund, and TABOR-exempt revenue attributable to Amendment 50 is credited to the Extended Limited Gaming Fund. The Colorado Constitution requires that 12 percent of limited gaming revenue be distributed to gaming counties, 10 percent to gaming cities, and 28 percent to the State Historical Fund for preservation of historical sites in gaming cities and statewide.² The remaining half of the Limited Gaming Fund is allocated to state programs at the discretion of the General Assembly.³House Bill 20-1399 modified the transfers made from the Limited Gaming Fund to Cash Funds during FY 2019-20 and FY 2020-21, which are reflected in the Gaming Revenue Distribution chart below.

The Colorado Constitution requires that Amendment 50 and Amendment 77 revenue credited to the Extended Limited Gaming Fund be distributed as follows:

• 78 percent for financial aid and classroom instruction at Colorado community, junior, and district colleges based on each school's enrollment;
• 12 percent to Gilpin and Teller Counties, based on the proportion of Amendment 50 revenue raised within each county, to help address the impacts of gaming; and
• 10 percent to Central City, Black Hawk, and Cripple Creek, based on the proportion of the Amendment 50 revenue raised within each town, to help address the impacts of gaming.⁴

State Comparisons

Including Colorado, 26 states allow gaming at casinos, 29 states host casinos on Indian reservations, 23 states allow sports betting, and 41 states allow pari-mutuel wagering, which Colorado taxes separately from its casinos.

Sports betting

Sports betting was legalized in Colorado after the passage of House Bill 19-1327 and voter approval of Proposition DD during the November 2019 Election⁵. Sports betting became legal in May 2020, both onsite at casinos in Colorado's three gaming towns and online through casinos.

Sports betting is taxed at a rate of 10 percent on casinos' net sports betting proceeds, and the tax revenue will not be subject to TABOR as voter-approved state revenue. Sports betting revenue will be distributed to pay for the following in the order listed below:

• all administrative costs incurred by the Department of Revenue's Division of Gaming first;
• 6 percent to a hold harmless fund to reimburse recipients of current casino gaming tax revenue for any potential loss in revenue due to the legalization of sports betting;
• $130,000 for counseling services and a gambling crisis hotline in the Office of Behavioral Health in the Department of Human Services for gambling addiction problems; and
• the remaining amount to the Water Plan Implementation Cash Fund to fund water projects under the state Water Plan.

____________________

• Year Colorado Regulated Gambling: Horseracing (1950), Lottery (1982), Casinos (1991)
• Estimated Tax Revenue from Gambling: $232 million
• Estimated Gambling Revenue (from casinos): $1.1 billion
• Colorado Gambling Age: 18 for lottery and bingo, 21 for casinos and racing
• Smoking ban: The Colorado bans indoor smoking. Reservations casinos are the only exclusion related to gaming.
• Colorado Online gambling: Horseracing is the only form of legal online gambling

There is a liberal stance when it comes to Colorado gambling. Its horse racing industry dates back to the 1950’s. Colorado also had greyhound racing but it was outlawed when the last surviving track folded last decade.

The state created a lottery in 1982, selling its first ticket the following year. Colorado saw former mining cities on the brink of becoming ghost towns. Voters approved Colorado casinos located in Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek in order to save those twons. This also permitted the Utes to operate Colorado casinos on tribal land.

Paying Gambling Taxes in Colorado

Do you have to pay taxes on your gambling winnings? OnlineUnitedStatesCasinos has gathered everything you need to know about paying taxes on your gambling winnings straight from a Certified Public Accountant. For more information please visit our exclusive Gambling Taxes article.

Colorado Casinos Map & Guide

• Black Hawk
• Central City
• Cripple Creek
• Ute Mountain
• Sky Ute

• Number of B&M Casinos: 43
• Number of Poker Rooms: 9
• Number of Indian Casinos: 2

• • Huge Welcome Bonus Package
  • Visa and MasterCard Payment Options Available for US Players
  • Over 150 Real Money Online Slot Games

  Compatible with:

  • windows
  • apple
  • android
  • mobile
• • Safe and Reputable Casino, Mobile Friendly
  • Easy Credit Card Deposits for US Players
  • Impressive Welcome Bonuses up to 260% match

  Compatible with:

  • windows
  • apple
  • android
  • mobile
• • Quick USA Payouts, Credit Cards Accepted
  • Great Selection of Slots & Table Games
  • Legit & Reputable Mobile Friendly Casino

  Compatible with:

  • windows
  • apple
  • android
  • mobile
• • Uses the Microgaming Software
  • Fast Cashouts in Just 1-7 Days
  • Online, Mobile, Instant & Live Play

  Deposit Options include:

  • visa
  • mastercard
  • paypal
  • neteller

  100% up to €1,000
• • Big Jackpots and Massive Deposit Bonuses
  • Over 400 Online Casino Games
  • Play Live Dealer Games

  Deposit Options include:

  • visa
  • mastercard
  • paypal
  • bitcoin

  100% up to €1,600
• • Large Australian Bitcoin-Friendly Casino
  • Mobile, Flash, and Download Play Options
  • Fastest Payouts

  Deposit Options include:

  • visa
  • mastercard
  • paypal
  • neteller
• • Safe and Trustworthy Australian Casino
  • Multiple Daily Deposit Deals
  • 100s of Pokies, Slots, and Table Games

  Compatible with:

  • windows
  • apple
  • android
  • mobile

Types of Colorado Online Gambling Allowed

The only form of online gambling specifically legal in Colorado is off-track betting. These types of wagers may be made on greyhound and horse races.

Online poker, casino games, and sports betting are not legal in Colorado. In 2013, Attorney General John Suthers opined that it would take a constitutional amendment to legalize online poker in Colorado.

Daily fantasy sports sites like DraftKings and FanDuel operate in Colorado. The companies assert that the niche qualifies as a skill game under Colorado law. No opponents have emerged in the state over this opinion.

Types of Colorado Live Gambling

• Slots: Yes
• Blackjack: Yes
• Poker: Yes
• Craps/Roulette: Yes
• Horses: Yes
• Lottery: Yes

There are four types of legal Colorado gambling. Live horse racing is permitted. These facilities may also offer off-track betting. There is a state lottery that sells tickets for instant games and lottos. These include interstate drawings. The Colorado casinos are permitted in three cities; Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act extends this to tribal land in Colorado. There are two casinos on reservations that operate under the same rules as commercial ones.

Charitable gambling is also legal in Colorado. Bingo and raffles are among the permitted games of chance available to nonprofits to raise money. All Colorado casinos can offer players the best games, including blackjack, roulette, craps, and slot games. These casino games are also permitted on Native American land.

Colorado Gambling Laws

Colorado gambling laws cover almost all forms of wagering. Live horse racing is permitted when funds are placed into a pari-mutuel pool. Off-track betting is allowed at racing sites and taverns. Greyhound racing was outlawed in 2014 after the last dog track folded in Colorado. Off-track betting is still permitted on greyhounds. Players that want to bet on the races must have the minimum Colorado gambling age of 21 years.

The Colorado Lottery is operated by the state. It is permitted to sell instant games and lotto tickets. State law permits the lottery to operate lotto drawings specific to Colorado and join massive interstate jackpots. Lottery players must be 18 years old.

Charities may also operate games of chance. The charities must be registered and all proceeds must go to these organizations. They may not be operated in a commercial manner. Like lotteries, charity players must be at least 18 years of age.

Colorado casinos were legalized in an attempt to revive the ailing economies in three mountain towns. Casinos in Colorado are only legal if located in Black Hawk, Central City or Cripple Creek. The bet limit at all of these Colorado casinos is $100, where all games are permitted. This includes slots, video poker, live poker, blackjack, Three Card Poker, Four Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, craps and roulette. Casino players must meet the minimum gambling age of 21 years. Casinos are now permitted to operate 24 hours a day in Colorado. Colorado casinos pay 20% of the gaming revenue to the state in the form of taxes.

List of Colorado Casinos

As mentioned before, there are only three cities where Colorado casinos can legally operate. You will be able to find casinos in Cripple Creek, Central City, and Black Hawk. Other than these locations, American Indian tribes can also run their own casinos, as long as they operate from within the reservation lands. Below you can find a detailed guide to the casinos in Colorado. For more accurate directions you can check out the Colorado casinos map for their locations.

The only live racetrack in Colorado is Arapahoe Park. It holds live horse races and off-track betting or horses and greyhounds.

Colorado Gambling History

Colorado gambling dates back to the early mining days. Early prospectors passed the time playing poker and other games in Wild West saloons. The first casino in the U.S. is purported to have been in Colorado near the Utah and Wyoming state lines. It was called Brown’s Saloon and opened in 1822.

A puritan movement put an end to this type of unregulated gambling throughout the West. It moved underground, as opposed to operating in the open in taverns throughout communities in the Rockies as it did before.

The first step back towards legalized gambling was the creation of racing commission in 1950. This launched legalized racing in Colorado. Horses and greyhounds were once permitted. The Interstate Kennel Club failed in 2009. It was the last greyhound track in Colorado. The state banned live greyhound racing in 2014.

Off-track betting was later added to the available offerings at racetracks in the late 1970’s. Taverns were permitted to offer simulcast wagering to help subsidize the horsemen.

Voters approved a constitutional amendment to create casinos in Colorado in 1990. The casinos may only be located in Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek. This also extended legalized gambling to the Utes’ reservations. The goal was to revive busted mining towns.

Colorado casinos opened with limited gaming in 1991. The maximum bet was $5. Only poker, slot machines, video poker and table games that used cards were permitted. Casinos were only permitted to be open 18 hours a day. The standard hours were 9 am to 3 am.

Voters approved a massive expansion of gambling that launched on July 1, 2009. This permitted 24-hour casino operations. It also raised the bet limit from $5 to $100. Craps and roulette were also added as allowable games, deviating from the longstanding policy of only permitting table games that required skill.

Amendment 68 sought the approval of voters to add slots and video poker at racetracks in Pueblo and Mesa Counties in 2014. Voters overwhelmingly defeated the measure in a statewide constitutional referendum.

Colorado Casinos & Gambling FAQ

Slots, video poker, live poker, blackjack, roulette, craps and any table game that uses cards.

Simulcast pari-mutuel betting on horse and dog races is the only form of legal online gambling in Colorado.

No. It would likely require a constitutional amendment to legalize online poker in Colorado.

Legal Online Casino Colorado Springs

Yes. It includes scratch-off tickets and lotto drawings.

The minimum Colorado gambling age is 18 years for lottery and bingo. Horse racing and Colorado casinos require players to be at least 21 years old.

Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek have casinos. The two Ute Reservations also have casinos.

Black Hawk is the closest to Denver. Central City is its sister city.

20 percent