Colorado Sportsbooks: Best CO Online Gambling Apps in April
The Centennial State’s sports betting industry's massive handle easily lands it in the top 10 U.S. betting states.
Here’s everything you ought to know about sports betting in Colorado.
Top Sportsbooks for Colorado Sports Betting Online
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Min. package: $4.99
- Time Limit: 60 days
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Min. package: $1
- Time Limit: 203 days
- Colorado Sports Betting Overview
- Expert Picks: Top Colorado Online Sportsbooks
- Best Betting Promos from Online Sportsbooks in CO
- List of Online & Retail Betting Sites in Colorado
- What You Can Legally Wager On in the Centennial State
- Betting on Sports in Colorado vs Neighboring States
- Timeline of Legalization of Sports Betting in Colorado
- Colorado Sports Betting Handle and Revenue
- Official Team and Sportsbook Partnerships
- Licensing & Oversight
- Responsible Gaming in CO
- Summing Up Sports Betting in Colorado
- Final Thoughts on Sports Betting in Colorado
- FAQ: Colorado Sports Betting
- More Sports Betting States
Colorado Sports Betting Overview
The state's rollout of sports betting has been a success, with the annual betting handle landing comfortably landing in the top 10 of all states with legal sports wagering.
| Live Since: | May 1, 2020 (for mobile sports betting) and July 9, 2020 (for retail) |
| Total Online Books: | 13 |
| Total Retail Books: | 8 |
| Handle & Revenue: | $25.5 billion through Aug. 2025, with $1.9 billion in sportsbook revenue |
| Sports Betting Tax Rate: | 10% |
| Legal Betting Age: | 21+ |
But the state's most famous claim to fame nationally in terms of sports betting began during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. With most major sports shut down for months, gamblers everywhere scrambled to find unlikely alternatives.
For some reason, Coloradans collectively fixated on table tennis, with several countries like Russia and Ukraine having less restrictive lockdown rules. In just seven months, residents and visitors wagered $63.5 million on the sport.
In November 2020, table tennis was the third-most popular sport in the state to bet, trailing only college and pro football. It would be reasonable to think that the fixation on table tennis would fade away as the most popular sports all returned to normal - but it did not.
In September and December 2024, monthly records for table tennis were broken - with the January 2025 mark of $31.7 million wagered topping all previous months. Only the NFL, NBA, and NCAA basketball attracted more wagers.
The August 2025 figure of $23.9 million was more than double the amount bet on golf, hockey, and mixed martial arts combined, so clearly the interest in the sport continues.
Expert Picks: Top Colorado Online Sportsbooks
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Min. package: $4.99
- Time Limit: 60 days
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Min. package: $1
- Time Limit: 203 days
The same daily fantasy sports operators such as FanDuel have been dominating the sports betting industry almost from Day 1 of the U.S. Supreme Court's May 2018 ruling that invalidated a 26-year-old federal law that effectively enshrined Nevada's monopoly on the wagering across the nation.
The story is no different in Colorado, where dominance has led to the exit of SI Sportsbook, Betfred, Superbook, WynnBet and several others in the past several years.
Fortunately for Colorado gamblers, national brands such as ESPN Bet, Fanatics, Hard Rock Bet, and Caesars remain active and appear likely to continue indefinitely.
Best Betting Promos from Online Sportsbooks in CO
You'll find various promos for users in Colorado, such as win your first $5 bet and receive $300 in free bets. Others incentivize users with free NBA League Passes, flexible win-lose conditions on your first bet, or cash back during your first week of betting.
Some might even offer you unique brand-exclusive bonus cash. Take FanCash from Fanatics, for example, which is redeemable for sports apparel and collectibles on its website. It's a very good deal for those who already regularly buy such merchandise anyway.
List of Online & Retail Betting Sites in Colorado
There are currently 13 online sportsbooks and eight retail sportsbooks (not including casinos with only a handful of betting kiosks) live in Colorado.
Online Sportsbooks and Official Launch Dates
- FanDuel - May 1, 2020
- DraftKings - May 1, 2020
- BetMGM - May 1, 2020
- BetRivers - May 1, 2020
- Bet Monarch - May 11, 2020
- Circa Sports - July 1, 2020
- Bally Bet - May 24, 2021
- Caesars - Aug. 2, 2021
- Bet365 - Sept. 6, 2022
- Sporttrade - Aug. 29, 2023
- ESPN Bet - Nov. 14, 2023
- Fanatics - Dec. 4, 2023
- Hard Rock Bet - July 21, 2025
Retail Sportsbooks
- Ameristar Casino Black Hawk
- Bally's Black Hawk North Casino
- Grand Z Casino (Central City)
- Golden Nugget Casino (Cripple Creek)
- Double Eagle Casino (Cripple Creek)
- Horseshoe Black Hawk Casino
- Lady Luck Casino Black Hawk
- Monarch Casino Resort Spa (Black Hawk)
What You Can Legally Wager On in the Centennial State
There are about six dozen sports approved by state regulators. Aside from the obvious like football, basketball, baseball, hockey, tennis, and golf, there are some truly exotic options such as bare-knuckle fighting, professional miniature golf tournaments, Gaelic Games, pickleball, professional tag events, slap fighting, snooker, and sumo wrestling.
There is no individual player prop betting option on any collegiate sports, although unlike some states wagering is allowed on in-state major college sporting events.
Official Sports Teams
The state is the smallest in the U.S. to have a franchise in all four traditional major sports - all based in Denver: the NFL's Denver Broncos, MLB's Colorado Rockies, the NBA's Denver Nuggets, and the NHL's Colorado Avalanche.
There are three NCAA Division I football teams: the University of Colorado, Colorado State, and Air Force. Those schools also have D-1 basketball programs, as do Northern Colorado and the University of Denver.
Betting on Sports in Colorado vs Neighboring States
Arizona - which barely touches the Colorado border at the famous Four Corners site - through August 2025 has edged out Colorado in all-time betting handle at $26.8 billion in betting handle to $25.5 billion.
Kansas is far behind at $6.9 billion, and Wyoming even further back at $687 million, with Nebraska at an even more modest $112 million. New Mexico's sports betting is limited to on-site at five tribal casinos.
Oklahoma and Utah, meanwhile, have no legal sports betting at all.
Timeline of Legalization of Sports Betting in Colorado
Colorado lawmakers were more efficient than counterparts in many other states. Just six months after the Supreme Court paved the way for any state to offer Las Vegas-style sports betting, residents across the state voted to approve a ballot question allowing for the launch of the wagering in the state.
- November 5, 2019 - Proposition DD - the "Legalize Sports Betting with Tax Revenue for Water Projects Measure" - was approved by voters by a 51% to 49% margin.
- May 1, 2020 - Sports betting is launched in the state, with four mobile sportsbooks commencing the acceptance of wagers. The opening of retail sportsbooks, however, was hampered by then-active COVID-19 restrictions in the state on public gatherings.
- June 15, 2022 - The Colorado Office of the State Auditor issued a report raising major concerns about the process used by the Colorado Division of Gaming in vetting would-be sportsbook operators, specifically citing a failure to perform numerous background checks. The Division then agreed to implement all 10 improvements recommended by the auditor's office.
- Sept. 1, 2022 - Bet365 launches as the 26th sportsbook to go online in Colorado in less than 18 months.
- March 28, 2025 - A bill is introduced in the Colorado House that would tax sportsbooks on promotions like bonus bets and first deposit bets. The bill has since stalled, however.
- October 27, 2025 - A Colorado District Court Judge ruled against the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain tribes and their goal of opening mobile sportsbooks. The judge rejected the tribes' argument that an online wager taking place outside of tribal lands is legal because the server accepting the bet is located within those lands. The judge said instead that online betting occurs where the bettor is located." That is the opposite conclusion of New Jersey courts, which have ruled that Atlantic City's monopoly on gambling is not threatened by statewide online betting as long as the server that accepts the bet is located within Atlantic City limits.
The determination to launch legal sports betting as quickly as possible, while well-intended, appears to have led to blunders in the reviewing of the qualifications of operators of sportsbooks seeking to open for business in the state.
Colorado Sports Betting Handle and Revenue
| Total Handle to Date: | Colorado has taken in $25.5 billion in betting handle through August 2025 - including $6.3 billion in the 12 months from mid-2024 to mid-2025. |
| Tax Revenue to Date: | Also through Aug. 2025, Colorado has collected $116.5 million in sports betting taxes. |
| Breakdown of Online vs. Retail Share | Mobile sportsbooks accounted for virtually all of the annual betting handle, as most of Colorado's 39 casinos - all located in the former mining towns of Black Hawk, Cripple Creek, and Central City, outside of the state's densest population centers - don't even have a sportsbook at all. |
| YoY Growth Rates: | The state's sports betting handle was $5.6 billion in calendar year 2023 and $6.2 billion in 2024 - and with nearly $4 billion wagered so far in 2025 just before the start of the wildly popular pro and college football seasons, another new record seems inevitable. |
| Handle Milestones: | The state's first and only $700 million in handle month so far came in December 2023 ($712 million). August 2025 was a milestone for the state's sportsbooks, as their "hold" of the total amount spent was a record 9.22%. That is significantly higher than Colorado's all-time hold rate of a more modest 7.8%. |
Colorado's rank of 7th in all-time betting handle in the U.S. through August 2025 compares impressively to the state's rank of 21st in state populations. There are nine states with full-scale sports betting that have a lower handle than Colorado in spite of having a higher population.
Official Team and Sportsbook Partnerships
Of the many sportsbook partnerships in Colorado, you'll find:
- Denver Broncos x FanDuel x Fanatics
- Colorado Rockies x Circa Sports
- Caesars x Grand Z Casino x Z Casino x Horseshoe Black Hawk Casino x Lady Luck Casino Black Hawk
- Fanatics x Double Eagle Casino
Licensing & Oversight
The Colorado Division of Gaming and the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission are the statutory authorities over the regulation of legalized sports betting in Colorado. The agencies were first formed in 1991. The agencies operate as part of the Colorado Division of Revenue.
Responsible Gaming in CO
On March 2, 2025, the Colorado Division of Gaming launched a "Bet Smart Colorado" campaign, during Problem Gambling Awareness Month, as an effort to promote responsible gambling by state residents. Bet Smart has a variety of resources designed to help residents who have, or suspect they have, a gambling problem.
Setting spending limits, knowing the risks involved in gambling, and recognizing when to take a break are listed as among essential steps in gambling responsibly. You can access this resource at https://betsmart.colorado.gov/.
The Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado (PGCC) is the local affiliate of the National Council on Problem Gambling.
Anyone can voluntarily apply to be self-excluded from gambling in Colorado. As of February 2025, 430 residents have done so.
Those who successfully apply to be self-excluded from gaming are prohibited from: - Gambling at casinos; - Placing sports wagers at on-site sportsbooks; - Placing sports wagers at online sportsbooks
The Limited Gaming Control Commission this year awarded $3 million in grants to four groups whose goal is to assist compulsive gamblers and their families.
Gambling problem? Colorado residents can call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.
Summing Up Sports Betting in Colorado
Top Reasons to Bet in Colorado
- The state's low tax rate has both lured in all of the major national sportsbook players, but also led to some of the most appealing signup bonuses anywhere in the country.
- Colorado residents may not appreciate how fortunate they are in recent years compared to fans in most other states. The Avalanche have not missed the NHL playoffs since 2016-17, and just won the Stanley Cup in 2021-22. A year later, it was the Nuggets' turn as they won the NBA title during a run of playoff appearances that began in 2018-19. The Broncos won the Super Bowl back in 2014-15. Meanwhile, all three teams are in the midst of seasons in which they are expected to be one of the stronger contenders to try to win another championship.
- The Colorado Buffaloes NCAA football team, after being perhaps the most-hyped team in the country in 2024, fizzled out quickly. But head coach Deion Sanders, a Pro Football Hall of Fame inner-circle player, remains an object of fascination for many state residents - including those who like to gamble.
Top Reasons Not to Bet in Colorado
- The Rockies baseball team is a polar opposite of the three other Denver major traditional sports franchises. In their 32 seasons, the Rockies have not won a single division title. They also threatened in the first half of the 2025 season to finish with the worst record in baseball since the 19th century. The Rockies avoided that grim fate, but just barely. Their 43-119 record was among the five worst in more than 100 years. The Rockies have reached the playoffs just three times in 20 years. If baseball is your favorite sport and you like to gamble, betting the money line on each Rockies game in 2025 would have been a very costly mistake.
- Many young adults likely would like to wager on the performance of their favorite Colorado-based college player. Failing that, at least to make the same sort of a wager in a nationally-televised game with out-of-state schools. But Colorado bans all such bets.
Explore these top sportsbooks
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Min. package: $4.99
- Time Limit: 60 days
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Min. package: $1
- Time Limit: 203 days
Final Thoughts on Sports Betting in Colorado
Colorado is similar to Arizona - the only other state west of the Mississippi River to put up significant betting handle numbers since Nevada lost its monopoly in 2018. Both not only have a low tax rate of 10%, each state also is generous with the tax deductions to sportsbooks before the modest tax rate is calculated.
The state's gamblers at least may enjoy slightly better promotions as long as the low tax rate lasts, as sportsbooks' bottom lines afford them that luxury. But for residents who don't gamble, all they have experienced losing out on more than $100 million in taxes compared to if the state just offered a national media tax rate of around 20%.
FAQ: Colorado Sports Betting
Is sports betting legal in Colorado?
Yes – as of now, both online and retail sports betting are good to go in CO.
What kinds of sports can I bet on in CO?
All major professional sports, including top American leagues like NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB, are for the taking. As are popular international sports like soccer, golf, and tennis. Just note that certain restrictions apply – particularly in regard to American collegiate events.
What restrictions or limitations apply to Colorado sports gambling online?
At the time of writing, you can’t bet on any high school sports from within Colorado. Meanwhile, props bets on individual college athletes, regardless of whether said athletes play for an in-state or out-of-state team, are also prohibited.
What’s the minimum age for sports betting in CO?
Currently, you must be 21 or over to bet on sports in Colorado legally. This age limit applies to both online and retail sportsbooks.
Which online sportsbooks are most popular in the state?
Books like FanDuel and Caesars Sportsbook get a lot of traction.
