Colorado Sports Betting
Colorado sports betting is legal and live. The state is home to 16 legal online sportsbooks, including bet365, BetMGM, Caesars, and some local companies more native to the market.
Colorado sports betting law allows for up to 30 online sportsbooks. Read on for a comprehensive look at Colorado’s online sportsbooks and the bonuses and promotions they offer.
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Best Colorado sports betting sites for 2024
Contents
What’s happening in Colorado sports betting right now
- Sept. 3, 2024 — Betsafe announced it would cease operations in Colorado as of Sept. 30. The app will not accept any wagers after Sept. 16, and customers have until Sept. 27 to withdraw their money.
- Aug. 30, 2024 — ClutchBet is exiting Colorado and its other two active states, Louisiana and Iowa. The app will no longer accept wagers after Sept. 16.
- Aug. 23, 2024 — Betfred is no longer accepting bets in Colorado and is only open for existing customers to withdraw funds. The sportsbook officially exits the state on Aug. 31.
- Aug. 13, 2024 — Colorado sports betting handle was $350.4 million in June, down 27.7% from May.
- July 31, 2024 — Betway is no longer accepting bets in Colorado. The sportsbook is still open to existing customers to make withdrawals.
- July 22, 2024 — SuperBook Sportsbook is no longer accepting bets or new registrations in Colorado. Existing users can still make withdrawals from their accounts. The book announced it is leaving eight US states.
- July 10, 2024 — Tipico Sportsbook is no longer accepting deposits, registrations, or bets in Colorado. Existing customers can still access their accounts to withdraw funds.
Colorado sportsbook promos today
Comparing top Colorado sportsbooks
Deciding where to place a bet in Colorado is a subjective choice with many elements in play. Site navigation, available Colorado sportsbook promos, and other features may all play a role in your choice. Here’s a brief look at where Colorado sportsbook apps shine, plus reviews of the top sports betting sites in the state:
- Best sportsbook for loyalty programs: Caesars. Caesars Rewards is one of the best loyalty programs available to bettors today. Users will enroll automatically when they sign up at Caesars, and they can collect points to use at Caesars hotels and resorts and on the app.
- Best NFL betting sites: BetMGM, bet365. If you’re looking for apps to use on Sundays, BetMGM and bet365 are among the best in class. You’ll get some of the best odds in the market, streaming options, and a deep menu of available props.
- Best sportsbook for odds boosts: bet365. Bet365 offers bet boosts and super boosts to make some wagers more enticing for bettors. The app is also known for its deep menu of available options.
1. FanDuel Colorado
Fanduel Sportsbook is among the leaders in all things sports betting nationwide. From one of the top promos to a highly rated app, FanDuel is a go-to option for all kinds of bettors. The app is easy to use and navigate, making it an ideal starting point for new bettors. However, experienced bettors will find some of the best odds in the market and a deep menu of available betting options. Same-game parlays are one of the most popular features for all users.
- Welcome bonus: Bet $5, get $200 in bonus bets.
- App rating: 4.8 (iOS), 4.4 (Android)
- Key takeaway: Industry-leading app with competitive odds.
- Best feature: Selection of same-game parlays.
2. Bet365 Colorado
European sports betting company bet365 arrived in Colorado in September 2022. The betting options are plentiful, and the odds are competitive. It also boasts solid live-betting features and display personalization, and it provides daily bet boosts and super boosts. Occasional hiccups can happen when navigating between the betting sections, however. The bet365 sportsbook bonus is competitive and really shines with its bet boosts and super boosts.
- Welcome bonus: Bet $5, get $200
- App rating: 4.6 (iOS), 2.7 (Android)
- Key takeaway: A strong brand with an easy-to-use app and competitive odds.
- Best feature: Personalized display
3. BetMGM Colorado
BetMGM Sportsbook offers more sports to bet on than almost any other sportsbook app. Furthermore, the “edit my bet” function allows you to increase your wagers, change the teams on the bet, or even add legs to a parlay. One of the top choices in Colorado, the app has few problems overall, but one is that navigating can be a bit unwieldy. For new users, the BetMGM bonus code PLAYLSR offers up to $1,500 in bonus bets.
- Welcome bonus: Up to $1,500
- App rating: 4.8 (iOS), 4.7 (Android)
- Key takeaway: More sports to bet on than almost any app.
- Best feature: Edit my bet
4. Caesars Colorado
Caesars Sportsbook has a deep list of sports you can bet on and extensive experience as a gambling provider. Also well-known for its casinos and hotels, it allows bettors to participate in the Caesars Rewards program, which provides redeemable points for rewards at company locations. On top of the rewards, the Caesars Sportsbook promo code offers a competitive welcome bonus. However, Caesars could stand to improve its app presentation and navigation a bit.
- Welcome bonus: Up to $1,000
- App rating: 4.6 (iOS), 4.4 (Android)
- Key takeaway: A solid app with plenty of sports and experience.
- Best feature: Caesars Rewards
5. Fanatics Sportsbook Colorado
One of the newest betting options in Colorado, Fanatics Sportsbook launched in the state in December 2023 and is partnered with Double Eagle Casino. The app still has to work through some bugs and improve usability overall, but there are several interesting features for new users to try.
FanCash allows customers to earn extra funds they can redeem for bonus bets or merchandise on the Fanatics retail site. The app also curates a personalized “Discover” page for each user, with games, promos, and rewards that may be of interest. Same-game parlays are also available, and reviews generally suggest quick responses from customer service, but there is no doubt that this is still an app in progress.
- App Store rating: 4.7 (iOS), 3.5 (Android)
- Key takeaway: New app with interesting features
- Best feature: FanCash
How to get started with the best Colorado sportsbook bonuses
Signing up at a Colorado online sports betting site is pretty easy. Once you register for an account, you can choose a payment method, deposit money and be ready to go. The only thing to add is that you might have to provide additional documentation to withdraw funds. Be aware that verifying a joint bank account likely will require ID from everyone on the account.
With so many online sportsbooks in Colorado, competition is fierce to attract bettors. Books offer bonuses and promotions to attract new customers and keep them returning. Here are some of the best sports betting promotions and bonuses available to Colorado sports bettors at the moment and the codes to access them:
- FanDuel bonus code: Bet $5, get $200 in bonus bets, plus three weeks of NFL Sunday Ticket.
- Bet365 bonus code: Bet $5, get $200 in bonus bets OR a first bet safety net up to $1,000. Use the code LSRCO.
- BetMGM bonus code: Up to $1,500 in bonus bets paid back if your first bet does not win. Use the code LSR50.
- Caesars Sportsbook promo code: Up to a $1,000 first bet on Caesars with the code LSR1000. If your first bet doesn’t win, Caesars will provide a refund in the form of a bonus bet.
- Fanatics Sportsbook bonus code: Bet and get up to $1,000 in bonus bets. No code necessary; click to claim.
Just as a refresher, here’s how these bonuses work:
- Deposit bonuses: Sportsbooks will match all or a portion of your deposit. You may also see these appear as match bonuses, such as the DraftKings Sportsbook promo.
- First bet bonuses: You must place a wager that meets the sportsbook’s conditions. If you win, you collect the profit from your win and don’t get a bonus. If you lose, the sports betting site will issue you site credits or a bonus bet equivalent to a percentage of your lost bet. The FanDuel welcome bonus is an example of this.
- Odds boosts: Odds boosts are when a sportsbook bumps the odds on a bet, usually between 15% and 35%, to attract more wagers. Odds boosts often have their own tab on an app and may not be visible on the main promotions page.
- Loyalty programs: Many sportsbooks offer company-wide loyalty programs, but what they offer will change from book to book. These programs will give you points as you wager, which can be exchanged for various perks.
List of all Colorado sports betting sites
Sixteen legal online sportsbooks are active in Colorado as of September 2024. There is also one sports betting app in Colorado that isn’t quite a sportsbook. Novig, the newest addition to the Colorado market, plans to become a sports betting exchange in the state and is temporarily offline. Betfred (not listed below) is also technically still available in Colorado but is not accepting bets and is only open for withdrawals from existing customers.
Here are the live sportsbooks in Colorado:
- Bally Bet
- Bet365
- BetMGM Sportsbook
- BetMonarch
- BetRivers Sportsbook
- Betsafe
- Caesars Sportsbook
- Circa Sports
- ClutchBet
- DraftKings Sportsbook
- ESPN Bet
- Fanatics Sportsbook
- FanDuel Sportsbook
- Novig (temporarily offline)
- SBK Sportsbook
- SI Sportsbook
- Sporttrade
10 quick facts about Colorado sports betting
- Colorado legalized sports betting in November 2019.
- Legalization required voter approval via referendum due to Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights.
- Colorado sports betting launched in both online and retail formats in May 2020.
- All online sportsbooks must be partnered with casinos located in Colorado.
- You must be 21 or older to bet on sports in the state.
- Principal actors in sports — players, referees, coaches, etc. — cannot legally bet on their sports.
- Table tennis became a popular sport to bet on during the height of the pandemic in 2020 and has remained a cornerstone of Colorado sportsbooks ever since.
- Colorado does not permit esports betting, nor does it allow betting on the Oscars or other awards events, high school sports, or any event where most participants are younger than 18.
- Colorado sports betting law allows up to 30 online sportsbooks in the state.
- Colorado sportsbooks booked more than $5 billion in wagers in their first 18 months.
What to expect at a legal Colorado sports betting site
With so many legal sportsbooks in Colorado, there is no reason to visit illegal offshore sites. Sports betting in the state is under the oversight of the Division of Gaming in the Colorado Department of Revenue — Specialized Business Group. The regulator keeps an updated list of every online sportsbook cleared to operate in the state.
Legal online sportsbooks offer convenience, and regulators have standards that aim to ensure safety, fairness, and security. They are also safer than retail books on a broader level since they don’t require you to navigate the state’s (sometimes) icy and treacherous roads to bet at a retail location.
Colorado sports betting law and regulations
The Colorado General Assembly approved statewide sports betting in May 2019, but the vote essentially moved the final decision to voters in November. A voter-approved constitutional amendment requires that any legislative vote to raise taxes go to the ballot for approval. HB 1327 was signed by Gov. Jared Polis, approved by voters, and became law. It includes the following core tenets:
- The state licenses sportsbooks that partner with casinos in the state.
- Betting can take place both online and in physical sportsbooks.
- The state taxes Colorado sportsbooks at a rate of 10%.
Additionally, the law created three types of licenses:
- Master license — reserved for the state’s 33 casinos
- Sports betting operator — land-based retail sportsbook
- Internet sports betting operator — one online skin per casino
Each of Colorado’s 33 casinos can apply for a master license. There is a $10,000 initial nonrefundable fee, followed by a two-year $125,000 licensing fee. An approved casino could then partner with a land-based sportsbook and an internet sportsbook (or use the same partner for both) and utilize one online platform.
Popular sports to bet on in Colorado
Colorado is similar to many states in that it has one large city that commands most of the sports action. All major sports teams that call the state home are based in and around Denver. As with most major cities nationwide, the NFL is a popular betting option, making current Denver Broncos odds a topic of interest for many Colorado bettors.
Here is a list of the major pro teams in Colorado:
- NFL: Denver Broncos
- NBA: Denver Nuggets
- MLB: Colorado Rockies
- NHL: Colorado Avalanche
- MLS: Colorado Rapids
Aside from the above, there are also major college teams. The Colorado Buffaloes football team is a top draw, as is the gridiron crew at Colorado State. Other options like motorsports, mixed martial arts, and rugby are all available to bet on, as well.
Colorado sports betting history
The history of Colorado sports betting is relatively short, mainly because the state legalized the activity and went live within a year. In the first year of legal betting, Colorado saw 15 online sportsbooks start taking wagers. Here is a timeline of how things have grown:
2024: Online sports betting company Novig launches in Colorado in January and then shuts down its sportsbook in April. Novig plans to become a sports betting exchange in the long term and says it will return later in 2024.
Micro-betting company Betr reportedly gains access to the Colorado market through a deal with Boulter Developments and plans to launch a sportsbook before the 2024 NFL season.
After a report that Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter bet millions on Fanduel Sportsbook in Colorado, LSR confirms that Porter did not do any NBA betting in the state.
A bill passed by the Colorado Senate and House would remove the cap on sports betting tax revenue funding water conservation in the state.
2023: The list of live Colorado sportsbooks continues to shrink as Sky Ute Sportsbook and Maverick Sports leave the state, and Betfred absorbs Elite Sportsbook. Bally Bet also pauses operations for several months. Fanatics officially takes over for PointsBet in December.
Colorado’s sports betting handle hits $716.4 million in December, a record high for the state.
2022: The number of sportsbooks in the state continues to fluctuate in 2022 as MaximBet and theScore Bet exit the state.
2021: Sports betting continues to expand in its first full year of being legal in the state. The number of active sportsbooks nearly doubles. By the time 2022 rolls around, 26 online sportsbooks are doing business in Colorado, including one of the few truly tribal options, Sky Ute. December’s numbers push the total amount of legal wagering in the state over the $5 billion mark for roughly 20 months of activity.
2020: Colorado sports betting starts in earnest in May 2020. Both online and retail books open for business, although the COVID-19 pandemic creates an extra set of challenges for in-person wagering. However, the online expansion continues unabated, and 15 online books launch by the end of the year.
2019: Colorado begins its push to legalize sports betting at the behest of Rep. Alec Garnett, the House majority leader. Garnett produces a bill in 2019 that narrowly passes both chambers of the Colorado General Assembly on the last day of the session. Due to Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights, the question of sports betting then has to go before the voters before it can become law. Although the vote on Proposition DD is only 20,000 votes apart, the people of Colorado decide to allow the state’s casinos to offer online and retail sports betting.
Colorado sports betting FAQ
Yes. Colorado sports betting is legal and live. Top apps such as DraftKings and FanDuel are among the authorized and regulated sportsbooks and operators. The state officially legalized sports betting via a voter referendum in November 2019 and launched in May 2020.
With online sports betting, you can wager from anywhere inside the state lines of Colorado. However, if you prefer to experience sports betting in person, there are several retail sportsbook locations:
– Ameristar Casino Black Hawk
– Wildwood Casino
– Billy’s Casino
– Colorado Grande
– Golden Mardi Gras Casino
– Grand Z Casino
– Isle of Capri Casino
– Johnny Nolon’s
– Johnny Z’s Casino
– Lady Luck Casino
– Monarch Casino Blackhawk
– Red Dolly Casino
– Saratoga Casino
– Sasquatch Casino
– The Lodge Casino at Black Hawk
– Wild Card Casino
– Z Casino
No, BetOnline is not a legal sportsbook in Colorado. Because it is based outside of the US, BetOnline does not comply with Colorado or US laws, restrictions, or business regulations. With so many legal betting options in the Centennial State, they far outweigh the risk of betting overseas.
You need to be 21 or older to place a sports wager in Colorado, either online or in person.
Not at all. The only requirements are that you are 21 or older and inside state lines. Be aware, however, that you will have to verify your location with your mobile device or computer before you can wager.
Yes. Colorado is home to a single facility that offers live horse racing. Bally’s Arapahoe Park in Aurora is a thoroughbred racetrack and a simulcast facility. Live racing and betting are available during August, September, and October each year. In addition, there are 10 standalone off-track betting locations scattered around the state. Finally, online horse betting sites like TVG can legally accept wagers from Coloradans.
Fixed odds horse racing is also available with bet365 through a partnership with SIS Content Services.
Yes. Daily fantasy sports contests are legal in Colorado. The state legalized them in 2016. You can play on FanDuel, DraftKings, or any other licensed DFS site in the state if you are 18 or older.
Colorado responsible gambling
If you or someone you care about is struggling with problem gambling, there are plenty of resources in Colorado that can help. The Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado is the top resource for responsible gambling in the state, providing access to a self-exclusion list, support groups, treatment providers and more. The Colorado Department of Revenue, the sports betting regulator for the state, is another good source with access to helplines and local resources.
You can also call or text 1-800-GAMBLER or have an online chat on the National Council on Problem Gambling website.