Like New Jersey, Illinois, and Indiana, Colorado has reported record increases in online gambling this fall as a bevy of sportsbook operators custom-tweak apps and websites to gain credibility among bettors.
Online Wagering in Colorado Takes Hold in the Fall
Sports betting went live in Colorado on May 1, after the passage of 2019’s Proposition DD legalized sports betting, including online gambling, within state limits.
All Colorado-based sportsbooks must have an association with a brick-and-mortar casino. But with mobile registration possible in-state, and COVID-era regulations keeping patrons away from physical casinos and sportsbooks, Colorado experienced a deluge of online sports bets over the last three months, officials said.
In August, 98.5% of all sports bets placed in the state were made through apps or websites.
And in September, Colorado passed the two-hundred-million dollar threshold with $207 million in handle, up 61% from the month prior. The Colorado Division of Gaming has yet to release October numbers.
PointsBet USA Joins Packed House in the Shadow of the Rockies
Australia-based PointsBet launched operations in Colorado’s emerging online gambling market Wednesday. The company joins an already crowded field of oddsmakers trying their luck in the Rockies, including:
- Woody’s at Wildwood at Wildwood Casino, Cripple Creek
- BetAmerica at Bronco Billy’s, Cripple Creek
- William Hill at Lady Luck Casino & Isle Casino, Black Hawk
- DraftKings Sportsbook at Mardi Gras Casino, Black Hawk
- BetMonarch at Monarch Casino, Black Hawk
- Barstool Sportsbook at Ameristar, Black Hawk
- ELITE Sportsbook at Red Dolly Casino, Black Hawk
- Betfred at Saratoga Casino, Black Hawk
Johnny Aitken, PointsBet USA CEO, said the company’s US headquarters opened in Lower Downtown Denver recently. He noted their product is “custom-made for the Colorado market.†PointsBet also has operations in Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa.
PointsBet USA’s retail presence is at the Double Eagle Hotel and Casino in Cripple Creek. Current partnerships include Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche, and the Colorado Mammoth professional lacrosse team.