- Sports betting launched in Colorado on May 1, 2020
- Colorado’s sports betting industry is off to a solid start despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Colorado now has seven retail sportsbooks with three in Cripple Creek.
Colorado’s retail sports betting industry is heating up after a slow start due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The count is now seven retail sportsbooks in the Centennial State as two properties in Cripple Creek have launched their ‘brick and mortar’ sportsbook. They also represent the second and third retail sportsbooks in Cripple Creek with the remaining four located in Black Hawk.
The first retail sportsbook in Cripple Creek launched in mid-July as the Wildwood Casino launched their offering powered by Las Vegas based ISI Race & Sports. Wildwood had already launched their mobile wagering platform at BetWildwood.com. ISI Race & Sports has very quietly become a serious player in Colorado as the two new retail sportsbooks to launch are also powered by their technology. ISI was a pioneer in the development of sports betting kiosks but have since morphed into a one stop shop for retail sportsbook solutions. Here’s what they say about their offerings on the company website:
We provide Turnkey Race and Sportsbook Software and Solutions. We provide Traditional Sportsbooks, Automated Self-Service Sportsbooks via the iSports Stand – Sports Betting Kiosk, the one of kind IGT Crystal Betting Terminal, Sportsbook Management, Mobile Wagering, In-Play wagering, Pari-mutuel race wagering and many other unique Sports wagering products and configurations.
The company has been able to go toe to toe with international powerhouse Kambi in Colorado’s nascent market. ISI was established in 1999 focusing on betting kiosks and entered the retail bookmaking market in 2007.
COLORADO GRANDE, JOHNNY NOLON’S CASINO ENTER THE RETAIL SPORTS BETTING FRAY
According to the Colorado Division of Gaming website, the retail sportsbook at Johnny Nolon’s Casino launched on August 1, 2020. Johnny Nolon’s is a fairly small, independently owned property that has operated in Cripple Creek since 1991:
Johnny Nolon’s Casino has been in business since 1991 and has always offered 1st class service and entertainment. Conveniently located 60 minutes West of Colorado Springs our casino offers a hot variety of over 250 slot machines & video poker: featuring Ultimate X Poker, Rome & Egypt, Wheel of Fortune, Tigers Eye just to name a few. Our casino offers a 24 hour full service American Cuisine Restaurant, you can dine, take out or call in your orders!
Johnny Nolon’s also has mobile plans in the works–in May, they announced a partnership with the Carousel Group, a Malta based iGaming company. Colorado will be the company’s first entry in the US market and they’ll be launching their ‘marquee brand’ SportsBetting.com by the end of the summer.
On August 3, 2020 the retail sportsbook at the Colorado Grande Hotel & Casino opened for business. The Colorado Grande was previously owned by Nevada Gold Casinos which primarily operates properties in Washington State. In 2012, they sold the Colorado Grande to a managing partner of Johnny Nolon’s Casino which now operates both properties under the corporate name G Investments. On an unrelated note, the Colorado Grande Hotel & Casino is supposedly haunted. This isn’t surprising as Cripple Creek is considered to be one of the most haunted towns in America.
