Last week the long-awaited launch of sports betting in Colorado became official, after the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission put all efforts, including holding special meetings to approve new licenses, to meet its predefined schedule date May 1.
DraftKings and FanDuel Among the First
Sports betting in the state became legal November 2019, when the people of Colorado voted for it during a state-wide referendum, tasking the regulator to approve the licensing of sports books and prepare the market for opening. The Rocky Mountain State went live on Friday with 4 sports books, and another 13 licensed by the regulator and waiting in the wings.
FanDuel launched its sports book app in partnership with Twin River’s Golden Gates Casino in Black Hawk, bringing its best-in-class online sports betting experience to sports fans in the state, expanding its presence to 5 states.
Boston-based DraftKings, who recently completed a three-way merger with sports betting provider SBTech, listed on the Nasdaq and test-started an online casino in Pennsylvania, launched its sports book in Colorado in partnership with Twin River’s Mardi Gras Casino in Black Hawk, as per the signed agreement between both companies in January 2020.
BetMGM, the sports book brand of Roar Digital, a joint-venture between Las Vegas-based casino operator MGM Resorts and UK gambling group GVC Holdings, launched its product with Triple Crown’s Midnight Rose Hotel & Casino in Cripple Creek, after Roar announced on Friday the exclusive primary skin agreement signed by both parties.
Rush Street Interactive, the sports betting market leader in New York and Illinois and the top online gaming operator in Pennsylvania, went live in Colorado with its BetRivers sports book through Triple Crown’s JP McGill’s Hotel & Casino in Cripple Creek.
Huge Names Prepare to Join the Party
PointsBet is among the group of the next sports betting operators that have license and will go live. It has an agreement for retail and mobile sports book operations in place with Double Eagle Hotel & Casino in Cripple Creek, after both parties signed a deal in July 2019.
UK-based gaming giant William Hill is also waiting in the wings to go live with its sports book in the state, in partnership with Isle of Capri and Lady Luck Casinos in Black Hawk.
Circa Sports, Fox Bet, BetFred and Penn Sports Interactive are also ready to go live with sports book operations, providing the necessary competition to ensure excellent product offering for state bettors.
Colorado Offers More
Colorado sports betting not only allows for wagering on sports such as futsal and floorball, but also on a variety of eSports offerings, including Call of Duty, Dota2, Counter-Strike, E-Nascar and League of Legends.
Geographically, the Centennial State is only the second, together with Oregon, out of 24 states west of the Mississippi river that allows punters to start betting via a mobile app without the need to visit a retail sports book to register.