Four Sports Betting Operators Will Go Live on May 1st in Colorado

By Matt Speakman,
Betting Expert at online-gambling.com

Matt Speakman Betting Expert at online-gambling.com

A die-hard fan of the Patriots, Matt Speakman is an expert on everything related to sports betting and DFS sites. Over the years, he has proven a valuable asset for our team at online-gambling.com. You can find Speakman's professional tips and tricks in any of his many articles on the website.

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Last updated: May 6, 2020

Despite the majority of major U.S. sports matches were canceled or postponed due to COVID 19, Colorado launches legal sports betting on May 1st and at least four sportsbooks are open to business through mobile applications.

Sports betting on football table game © besteonlinecasinos/Pixabay

Suzi Karrer, Communication Manager for the Division of Gaming, wrote in an email that Colorado is on track to take its first legal sports to bet on Friday while the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission is meeting Thursday. With the state having become safer at home with many sports shut down and the casinos shut down, the smartphone and online sports betting industry in Colorado are beginning to take shape.

Four gambling operators consider going live on Friday. There are seventeen companies approved to operate in the state.

While the exact date for the launch is uncertain, PointsBet continues to work on a new distribution sportsbook at the Double Eagle Casino in Cripple Creek. PointsBet rehabilitates the current poker bar area of Double Eagle and transforms it into a sportsbook and says it looks similar to its sportsbook at Catfish Bend Casino in Burlingame, Iowa.

Last summer, the company revealed it was planning to open its western base of operations in Denver before ever allowing sports betting in Colorado.

Eicher stated that they see that the state has a huge opportunity and they are looking forward to becoming synonymous with Colorado sports betting.

The Approval Process First Started in February

The approval process in Colorado began in February with the approval of the sports betting regulations and the first seven casino sportsbook operators by the Commission. In March and April, it proceeded to grant licenses. Around 33 casinos in the western gaming cities of Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek will open a brick-and-mortar book and a sportsbook in compliance with state law. Since March 16th , the casinos have been closed by the state due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Almost all state casinos have been approved for master licenses in recent months and two more Black Hawk casinos are on Thursday’s approval list, the Wild Card Saloon, and Sasquatch Casino.

The commission will hold an emergency regulation hearing on Sports Betting Rule 1.4 in addition to the approval of further licenses Thursday to lay down criteria in the general rules and finalize the state sports betting catalog.

Professional and university sports have been shut down around the world since mid-March. This prompted Washington, D.C. to delay its rollout, which plans to launch its sports- betting platform by the end of March.

Sports Betting Has Decreased in Some States

Nicole Jordan, D.C. Host. Lottery and Gaming Office announced at the end of March that the lottery revised its launch strategy based on the current state of world events.  He said that they will be ready to debut the sportsbook when it is safe for that.   Illinois and Michigan made their first bets in March, but the sportsbooks at the casino in these states soon had to close due to regional domestic orders. The orders still exist.

Revenue figures from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Nevada indicate that sports wagering in March has decreased by more than 60% and can continue in April. However, there may be a benefit for the four sportsbooks beginning Friday in Colorado: the international table tennis and eSport.