The Colorado Constitution and Colorado law allow only certain types of 'gambling.' In addition to limited gaming in Colorado casinos, the following forms of gambling are legal:
- Colorado Division of Racing-Live and off-track betting on horse racing events
- Secretary of State's Office - Licensing & Regulations for bingo, raffles and charitable games.
- 'Social' Gambling (See Social Gambling Exception below)
All other forms of gambling are prohibited.
Information and commonly asked questions about both legal and illegal gambling activities:
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- Slot titles include Vaults of Valhalla, Amazonia 3D, Buffalo Rush, Clover Cash and Mayan Gold. This casino can be accessed via a website or Android app. Social online casinos in Colorado. Many players enjoy casino games but don’t want to gamble real money. Social casino apps and websites fill this niche.
- Online sports betting and daily fantasy sports contests are both legal in Colorado. In November of 2019, Colorado residents voted on Proposition DD, which narrowly passed with a 50.8% vote.Now, as of May 1st, 2020, Colorado residents and visitors can legally bet on sports online.
Although the Division of Gaming cannot provide any legal advice, the following is some guidance based upon what has been deemed illegal under Colorado law. Counties and municipalities would have jurisdiction over these matters and may have local ordinances that also address gambling issues, so we encourage you to contact your local district attorney or city attorney's office for guidance because the Division only regulates casino gambling in Central City, Cripple Creek and Black Hawk.
Colorado law does allow charitable organizations to sponsor gambling events at a licensed retailer/operator. (This means a licensed casino in Cripple Creek, Black Hawk or Central City, Colorado.) The provisions governing these events are found in Colorado Revised Statutes, sections 12-47.1-901, 902 and 903. (View Colorado's gaming statutes.)
Outside of the gaming towns, criminal statutes govern gambling activity. For 'gambling' to occur, three elements must be present: consideration, chance, and reward. These elements are sometimes expressed as 'payment, luck, and prize.' The first level of inquiry, then, is whether all three of these components are present, because by eliminating any one of them, the activity would not meet the definition of 'gambling' as set forth in Colorado law.
For example, if the consideration component is eliminated and no fee, buy-in or other money is required or solicited from the participants, then prizes may be awarded to the player(s) who perform well in a casino type game. This is how several organized poker tournaments are able to operate legally outside the three gaming towns. On the other hand, if an organization charges a donation, fee or other buy-in for the casino games or just for the event, then it cannot legally distribute prizes or money based upon who wins or plays well in the casino type games. Such an organization could legally conduct a drawing, door prize or raffle as long as the prizes are awarded randomly and are not tied to success in the casino type game(s). Likewise, the organization could legally conduct the casino type games for the pure entertainment value alone. By disconnecting any prize or money from the risk element of the casino type game(s), such activity would arguably not meet the definition of gambling.
Although there is a social gambling exception in statute, the Colorado Supreme Court has held that charitable events do not qualify. Charnes v Central City Opera House 1989.pdf
Because a charity event typically seeks to raise money, the only way to hold a casino night where participants pay or donate money, is to hold the casino games for entertainment value only. In other words, there can be NO cash or other prizes awarded as a result of the games played. However, a raffle or door prize scenario where anybody can win the prize without regard to how they played or if they played the games is an option.
Companies do exist that will rent the needed equipment for casino type games. Lastly, if the charitable event will involve a liquor license, the Division of Liquor Enforcement could provide guidance on these issues.
Colorado Division of Gaming
May 2014
'Find a penny, pick it up,' might be a familiar childhood rhyme, but in Colorado casinos, keeping found money in or from a casino is a violation of state gaming law.
When Colorado voters legalized limited gaming in 1990, slot machines typically used coins: pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. In many jurisdictions outside of Colorado, people would walk around casinos, glancing at empty slot machines, looking for any coins left behind. The name 'silver miners' was coined to describe people who looked for money around casino games.
Slot machines keep track of how much money has been played and how much money has been won or lost, but in recent years, most slot machines have migrated to modern technology where the machine does not spill out coins when there's a jackpot. Electronic bells and whistles have taken the place of the happy jangle of a pile of coins spilling into a metal tray.
The problem of people 'mining' for dropped coins has also evolved along with technology. People may be questioned or even charged with Fraudulent Acts if they sit down at a slot machine and play off credits another player has left behind.
Buckets of jackpot coins have been replaced with slips of paper, called 'TITO‚' slips for 'ticket in, ticket out.' When a player finishes playing a slot machine and has credits accumulated on the machine, he or she can cash out the winnings, which is a printed slip of paper showing the balance. That TITO slip can be reinserted into another slot machine, redeemed at a kiosk, or turned into a casino cashier in exchange for cash.
So if a person sits down at a slot machine and plays someone else's credits, how do casino staff and Division of Gaming investigators determine just whose money is being played? For starters, every slot machine is under surveillance. Surveillance video can determine who played, how much they bet, how long they played, and whether jackpots were won. Event logs maintained on each slot machine can verify every transaction that took place, including game play history.
Likewise, if the first or second player used a player card (a player-specific card issued by the casino to track player use as well as link the player to promotions and marketing opportunities), transactions that took place on the slot machine after the card was inserted by the patron can be accessed to view the details.
Sometimes the second player sits down at a slot machine and simply doesn't recognize that there are credits on the machine, and may insert additional money on top of existing credits. The slot machine event logs, as well as the visual information from surveillance, is usually enough to determine if either player is owed credits or money. A player who finds someone else's credits and plays them off can be issued a citation under the Fraudulent Acts law.
If you find a lost ticket, cash or coins on the casino floor, let a casino staff member know. If you want to play a vacant slot machine and discover someone else's credits are waiting, you can find another machine or notify a casino staff member to properly document and remove the existing credits so you can play. If a patron returns to the casino looking for the lost ticket or money, the casino will return their property. If they return to a slot machine where they have left credits, the casino can return those as well. But there is no allowance under Colorado law for 'finders keepers' to keep a windfall.
2014
Colorado law allows a 'social gambling' exception, which allows 'gambling' that is incidental to a bona fide social relationship and is participated in by natural persons. A 'bona fide social relationship' means that the parties must have an established social relationship based upon some other common interest other than the gambling activity.
Further, one participating in such social game cannot directly or indirectly participate in 'professional gambling,' which is defined in Colorado law as 'aiding or inducing another to engage in gambling, with the intent to derive a profit therefrom.' This generally means that no one other than the players can profit from the game or activity in any manner. The profit does not need to be direct profit. Colorado law defines 'profit' as any 'realized or unrealized benefit, direct or indirect, including without limitation benefits from proprietorship, management, or unequal advantage in a series of transactions.'
These two criteria - a bona fide social relationship and no profit motive - must be present for a gambling activity to be considered legal 'social gambling.'
The Colorado Attorney General's Office and the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission have worked together to put together this response for information purposes only. This response should not be construed as a legal opinion, and you should consult with legal counsel before taking final action regarding the information in this response. Further, this response only encompasses Colorado State statutes. County and municipal jurisdictions may have local ordinances that may also address gambling issues. You should contact your local district attorney's office to determine these ordinances.
The first consideration in determining if a poker tournament or 'casino night' is allowed under social gambling laws is whether the activity is defined as 'gambling.' For gambling to occur, three factors must be present - consideration, chance and reward. These can be better described as 'payment, luck and prize.' If any of these three factors is not present, then the activity is not considered gambling. For example, if no donation, fee, buy-in, tips, drink minimums or any other monetary consideration are required or solicited from the participants in a poker tournament or casino night, then prizes may be awarded to the player(s) who perform well during the tournament or games.
On the other hand, if an organization charges a donation, fee or other buy-in for a poker tournament or casino night, then it cannot legally distribute prizes based upon who wins or plays well in the tournament or event. Such organization could legally conduct a drawing, door prize or raffle as long as the prizes are randomly awarded and are not tied to success in the tournament or event. Likewise, the organization could legally conduct the tournament or casino night for the pure entertainment value alone. By disconnecting the prize from the risk element of the poker or other event, such activity would arguably not meet the definition of gambling. The Colorado Secretary of State handles permits for bingo and raffle events. This paragraph applies even if the poker tournament or casino night is for charity and/or the prizes are donated.
Once the activity has met the legal definition of 'gambling,' it can still be a legal activity if it meets the 'social gambling' exception in Colorado statute.
Internet gambling is illegal under state and federal laws. Colorado law prohibits the transmission or reception of gambling information by any means. The federal Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, signed into law in October 2006, prohibits online gamblers from using credit cards, checks and electronic fund transfers to place and settle bets. Further, the federal 1961 Wire Act also prohibits the use of wire communications in interstate or foreign commerce for the placing of bets or wagers or information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers.
Unlike participants in legalized forms of gambling, persons who wager on online casinos have no recourse with any state agency should they not be paid for winning wagers or have any other dispute with the entity with which they are placing their bets. Furthermore, players are not guaranteed odds. By statute, slot and video machines in Colorado casinos must pay out between 80 percent and 100 percent. Online casinos are not required to have minimum payouts and are under no form of regulatory control to ensure compliance with any payout controls.
Many online sites advertise they are 'legal' and 'licensed' forms of wagering. They may be legal or licensed where the bets are received, but it remains illegal to place bets from Colorado with these businesses.
In addition, the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission prohibits persons and businesses licensed in the casino industry in Colorado from having any involvement with internet gaming sites that can be accessed by Colorado residents.
Introduction to Colorado Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
Colorado slot machine casino gambling consists of 31 casinos in the three historic mountain tows of Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek including two American Indian tribal casinos within the state.
I’ve dedicated this weekly series to slot enthusiasts such as yourself as you master casino slots and win your way to success by using this State-By-State Online Resource to improve your slots gambling performance by reviewing your state’s slots gaming industry.
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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Colorado*
The minimum legal gambling age in Colorado depends upon the gambling activity:
- Land-Based Casinos: 21
- Poker Rooms: 21
- Bingo: 18
- Lottery: 18
- Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18
Legalized gambling arrived in 1991 for Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek. In 2008, Colorado voters approved raising the maximum bet in these towns from $5 to $100.
In November 2020, Colorado voters gave voters in these three towns the right to vote to add new games and raises the maximum bet limit for their municipality, potentially providing a boost to their economies.
The two National Historic Districts are Black Hawk/Central City and Cripple Creek. When legalized in 1991, the hope was that gaming in these towns would revive and protect them.
Slot Machine Private Ownership in Colorado
It is legal in the state of Colorado to own a slot machine privately if manufactured before 1984.
Gaming Control Board in Colorado
The Colorado Division of Gaming regulates gambling in the three historic mountain towns. This gaming control board is within Colorado’s Department of Revenue’s Enforcement Division.
Regulation of gaming at Colorado’s two tribal casinos is through their negotiated tribal-state compacts allowing Class III Vegas-style electronic gaming machines and table games.
These gaming compacts created Colorado’s two tribal gaming control commissions, which operate with support from the state gaming control board:
Casinos in Colorado
Colorado has 29 commercial casinos and two American Indian tribal casinos with slot machines.
The largest casino in Colorado is Ameristar Casino Resort Spa Black Hawk with 1,513 gaming machines.
The second-largest casino is Monarch Casino Resort Spa Black Hawk with 1,200 gaming machines.
Commercial Casinos in Colorado
There are 29 commercial casinos within the historic mountain towns of Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek including:
Black Hawk, 50 miles west of Denver, with 5,353 gaming machines:
Central City, 4 miles west of Black Hawk, with 1,479 gaming machines:
Cripple Creek, 112 miles south of Denver, with 2,736 gaming machines:
Central City is relatively more historic than the other two mountain towns. Black Hawk is much more of a typical casino town, nearly reminiscent of Las Vegas. Cripple Creek feels like a bit of both.
Black Hawk and Central City are only four miles apart. Consequently, there is a heated competition between these two towns for revenue since gambling legalized in 1991.
Tribal Casinos in Colorado
Colorado has two tribal casinos:
- Sky Ute Casino Resort in Ignacio, 330 miles southwest of Denver near the Arizona border, operated by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.
- Ute Mountain Casino Hotel in Towaoc, 400 miles southwest of Denver near the southwest corner of Colorado and 112 miles west of Ignacio, operated by the Ute Mountain Tribe.
Other Gambling Establishments
As an alternative to enjoying Colorado slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Colorado is:
- North: Wyoming Slots
- Northwest: Nebraska Slots
- East: Kansas Slots
- South: New Mexico Slots
- Southeast: Oklahoma Slots
- West: Utah Slots
- Southwest: Arizona Slots at Four Corners
Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Colorado.
Our Colorado Slots Facebook Community
Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Colorado? If so, join our Colorado slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to freely join this closed Facebook Group community.
There, you can meet online and privately share your slots experiences with local slots enthusiasts about playing slot machines in Colorado. Join us!
Payouts and Returns in Colorado
No theoretical payout limits exist for Colorado’s commercial or tribal casinos.
The Division of Gaming offers return statistics by slot machine denomination. These hold percentages come state-wide and are for each of the three historic mountain towns, but not by individual casino within those towns. Player win% is 100% minus the hold% provided.
From the recent month of October 2020, player return percentages for all denominations were:
- State-wide: 92.64%
- Black Hawk: 92.20%
- Central City: 94.18% (highest town return)
- Cripple Creek: 93.31%
These monthly reports also provide return statistics by slot machine denomination. For October 2020, they are:
For this month, $2 denomination slot machines in Black Hawk had the highest return at 96.35%. However, the state report shows there are only thirty $2 slot machines in Black Hawk, but careful evaluation of $2 returns in other months may indicate this high return was due to an outlier from a single large jackpot win.
The second-highest return is from the $1 denomination slot machines in Central City. As the state return shows 143 such machines there, it is less likely to be an outlier and more likely for a majority of the $1 slot machines in Central City.
Colorado’s two tribal casinos do not have publicly available return statistics.
Summary of Colorado Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
Colorado slot machine casino gambling consists of 29 commercial casinos in the historic mountain towns of Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek. Two tribal casinos are on reservations near the Arizona border and in the southwest corner of Colorado.
Annual Progress in Colorado Slot Machine Casino Gambling
In November 2020, voters approved Amendment 77 of the Colorado Constitution with 60% of residents in favor. The amendment gives local control to residents of Central City, Black Hawk, and Cripple Creek to vote to add new casino games and raise the maximum bet limit, capped at $100 since 2008.
Otherwise, Ameristar Blackhawk added about 260 slot machines while Monarch Black Hawk climbed to second-largest casino in Colorado, moving past Isle of Capri.
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