As you can see, the legality of playing online poker in Colorado in 2021 resides in a murky gray area, and the decision about how legal poker websites are is best left to a legal professional to decide. Colorado online poker is beloved by many of the citizens of the Highest State. When you play online poker in Colorado, you can while away the hours pleasantly without having to worry about the police. Online poker is not legal in Colorado, yet. Voters did pass Proposition DD on Nov. 5, 2019, essentially legalizing retail and online sports betting in Colorado. However, online poker and casino games were.
Colorado is a reasonable state to live in for poker players. On one hand online poker is illegal (at least that's a reasonable interpretation), but on the other hand it's possible to play poker live in any licensed casino, as well as at home in a social setting. So even though the state of Colorado views poker as a game of chance, and consequently illegal, players still have several opportunities to play this game legally.
Playing Poker in Colorado
Is Online Poker Legal in Colorado?
As is the case with most state laws, online poker isn't specifically addressed. However, there are a number of passages that lead us to believe that the laws for online poker lean more towards being illegal.
Section 18-10-102
The risking of money or other thing of value for gain contingent in whole or in part upon lot, chance, or the happening of an event over which the person taking the risk has no control.
Poker is considered a game of chance in Colorado. So that's strike 1.
Section 18-10-102
'Gambling device' means any device, machine, paraphernalia, or equipment that is used or usable in the playing phases of any professional gambling activity, whether that activity consists of gambling between persons or gambling by a person involving the playing of a machine; except that the term does not include a crane game, as defined in section 12-47.1-103 (5.5), C.R.S.
You could argue that machine means the internet, your computer, laptop or mobile device. There's strike 2.
Section 18-10-106 (1)
'...knowingly transmits or receives gambling information by telephone, telegraph, radio, semaphore, or other means or knowingly installs or maintains equipment for the transmission.'
You could argue that this includes transmitting over the internet. Strike 3, you're out.
There are loopholes, of course. For example, in 18-10-102, it mentions professional gambling activity, which in Colorado tends to mean operating a poker operation, not necessarily being a professional poker player.
However, the attorney general has also mentioned that internet gambling in Colorado is illegal. You can find this on the official Colorado website. So any loophole you think you’ve found at this point is rendered useless.
What About Home Poker Games?
Like most states, home poker games are fine so long as no one is profiting from cover charges, rake or donations.
Section 18-10-102
Any game, wager, or transaction which is incidental to a bona fide social relationship, is participated in by natural persons only, and in which no person is participating, directly or indirectly, in professional gambling;
And ss I mentioned above, under Colorado law 'professional gambling' is running a gambling business, not being a professional gambler or poker player.
Do Casinos in Colorado Offer Poker?
Absolutely. You'll find poker games at the Doc Holiday Casino in Central City and at the Gold Rush Hotel and Casino in Cripple Creak, just to name a couple.
Colorado Poker FAQs
We get a lot of questions about whether or not poker is legal in Colorado. Here are those questions and our answers.
Will online poker be regulated in Colorado?
There has been rumors of the Colorado Gaming Association discussing the topic, but there’s nothing to get excited over. Nothing has gone before legislation.
However, there was a study in 2011 that showed that the state will lose money if they don't eventually regulate online poker. At the same time, according to the attorney general internet poker is illegal in Colorado. So we have mixed feelings on the future of the regulation of online poker in Colorado It's like a coin flip.
Is there an online poker room that accepts players from Colorado?
Yes. Colorado players should be able to sign up virtually anywhere that accepts US customers. Colorado isn't one of those states that poker sites prohibit from signing up. So you should be able to find action at Bovada, Sportsbetting Poker and BetOnline.
What other forms of regulated gambling is offered in Colorado?
In addition to poker and casino games, you'll find horse and dog racing, bingo and state lottery throughout the state.
Where can I read more about Colorado poker laws?
You can read more about Colorado gambling laws at:
- Colorado Gaming Association - http://www.coloradogaming.com/
Here are some interesting facts about Colorado poker and gambling.
- Over 90% of Colorado casinos can be found in the three gambling boom towns. Central City, Black Hawk, and Cripple Creak.
- Until 2008 the maximum wager that you could make was $5. Now players can bet as much as $100.
- Poker Pro Chance Kornuth is from Colorado. He won the $5000 PLO event at the WSOP in 2010. He beat Kevin Boudreau who was also from Colorado Springs.
- 2012 WSOP Main Event Finalist Jeremy Ausmus grew up in Lamar, Colorado, went to Colorado State University before moving to Las Vegas to play professionally and busting 5th.
Additional Gambling Law Reviews
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Since the poker boom of the 2000’s, the game of poker has fascinated a whole new world of players from all over the world and poker players in Colorado are no exception. Online poker in Colorado is one of the reasons that The Centennial State is the birthplace to some of the best competitive poker players in the world and multiple WSOP main event winners. Yet there still exists a stigma around Colorado online gambling that isn’t fully understood and widely considered by the uninformed to be nefarious in some way.
This guide will illuminate some of the aspects of online poker in Colorado to show its true nature and to inform the uninitiated. We will navigate the USA online poker market, US federal and state laws and lead you through the comprehension of them while displaying some of the best examples in the industry. Form here you can arm yourself with the information that you need to make a clear and informed decision about your involvement in online poker based on the legality and the regulation of any given site. These principles will often apply to USA online gambling in general and will benefit you outside of the poker niche. We provide examples and explanations about what a premium online poker room should offer in terms of promotions and bonuses and what features they should present in order to be considered worthy of inclusion in this guide.
Are Online Poker Sites Legal In Colorado?
It’s not illegal to play online poker in the state of Colorado at licensed and regulated offshore sites. It’s not illegal to play online poker at legally sanctioned destinations in any state, except Washington. What is illegal is owning and operating an online poker website from within most states in the US, including Colorado. The gambling laws are largely left up to the state and in the event that online poker does become legalized at the state level, requires the state to establish the regulatory bodies that would be necessary to collect tax revenues, regulated and oversee the industry.
As it stands, state licensed online poker has not been made legal in the state of Colorado and therefore cannot be regulated and properly taxed. Most states in the US are in the same situation. There are a few states, including New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware, that have made state regulated online poker legal for their residents. For the rest of us (and them) we can opt to access online poker sites that are internationally located and regulated with the credentials and compliance certifications from the appropriate bodies. While state regulated online poker may not yet be an option in Colorado, US online gambling laws and Colorado state gambling laws intersect in such a way that licensed offshore online poker gambling is not against the law.
Legally Licensed Online Poker Sites Accepting Colorado Players
The following Colorado online poker rooms are the destinations that we have investigated and recommend universally. All these sites comply with international regulations and adhere to strict licensing protocols that demand compliance certifications from third party tech companies who specialize in determining statistical randomness and monitoring fair gaming practices. These brands represent the top tier poker providers in the industry and offer a premium online gaming experience through a secure, technologically advanced and reliable gaming environment. You will find a similar listing of options for Colorado online casinos, Colorado online sportsbooks and Colorado online bingo sites.
| Site Name | Bonus | Rating | Type | USA | Visit Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500 | Poker | Visit Site | |||
| $1000 | Poker | Visit Site |
Other Colorado Gambling Pages
What Games Can I Play At Colorado Online Poker Rooms?
There are numerous variations of USA online poker games that will be available at offshore, legally regulated, online poker rooms for residents of Colorado. Popular games that are found at most reputable poker sites include Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/lo, Americana, 32 card draw, HORSE and stud poker with 3, 5, and 7 cards. You are also able to control what types of stakes you want to play for. There are games available for high, medium, and low stakes so you have the freedom to choose. The games include advanced features that allow you to track players, access your own hand history, engage in speed play, and customize your experience. You take advantage of multi-hand game play and multi-table game play as well.
What Tournaments Can I Play In At Colorado Online Poker Rooms?
The interactive environment that online poker rooms enjoy has allowed them to develop an extensive tournament platform. There are multiple types of tournaments that you will see pop up at most of these Colorado online poker sites. There are Guaranteed tournaments which guarantee a certain jackpot amount for a certain event time. These types of tournaments frequently happen on a weekly basis and have high payouts for first place winners. Another tournament type you will likely see in your search is called a “Sit N’ Go” tournament. These tournaments are fast paced so you can fit them into your schedule and are designed with a wide variety of options. You can usually buy in for around $1.00 at the cheapest level and up past $200 for most expensive options and there are variations within these tournament type as well. Bounty tournaments will reward the player for knocking out other players and adds a bit of friendly rivalry to the game to increase the enjoyment. These will all usually be found in the promotions section of a site unless there is a specific section for tournaments available.
Can I Play Poker For Free Online?
Free play has saved a lot of people a lot of money by merely just showing them where to click to place certain bets before there is a real-money bet being placed. It’s not available at every website, but at the ones that do provide it look for the options to play with “play money”. Its key for inexperienced players and really allows for a unique opportunity to explore the software. You will be able to make sure you understand the dynamics of the interface before depositing and potentially losing real money over stupid bets you didn’t mean to make just because you didn’t understand where to click at a certain time.
There are other options to play for free as well. In Freeroll tournaments you can play poker games with other real players for the chance to win prizes that could result in passive profits for you as a player. There are also what is normally called a “no deposit bonus”. These are the bonuses where the website will provide for you some free chips to go and gamble with. These chips have wagering requirements that come associated with them and if they are all met, you may be able to keep some of your winnings with the free money!
Are There Online Poker Bonuses For Colorado Players?
The promotions packages are basically an industry all their own. All the top providers of online poker games for residents of Colorado actively compete to provide better promotions to add that incentive you need to choose them over the competition. First, we will talk about the match bonus. Usually, it takes the form of a welcome bonus in which the poker site agrees to match a certain percentage of your initial deposit up to a designated maximum amount. You will also find reload bonuses available as well. These bonuses are typically issued incrementally, awarding more bonus money the more you play.
Then there are the numerous other poker promotions that exist throughout the infinity of the internet. I’ll just give you an idea of a few of the most popular ones. A “Bad Beat” is a jackpot for your entire table at some websites and a simple single player bonus at others. This is when you have a great hand (normally, ace full of kings or better) and it just gets beat on a fluke, you will be given a second chance with this bonus. There are hundreds of other promotion and bonus types throughout all the online poker rooms that are available to Colorado residents.
Is It Legal To Play Online Poker In Colorado
Can I Play Real Money Poker Games From My Mobile Phone?
The responsive technology of the internet has allowed the global online poker providers to enter into the mobile market in style. You can find options for mobile poker that have been made available for the major operating system on mobile devices. There are browser based websites and additional downloadable apps that will allow you to play straight from the website using HTML5 coding with iPhones, Blackberries and Android phones. In most cases, there is no application that has to be downloaded onto your device.
What Are The Banking Options Available To CO Residents?
You will be presented with information about the banking suite right after you have finished your account registration. There are several banking options that are commonly available for deposit. Visa and MasterCard are widely available along with multiple other options for bank and wire transfers, Bitcoin, which is probably the easiest to use, and you can even send a check by courier at most places. Withdrawal options tend to be similar except you will not be able to have your payouts directly deposited into your major credit card accounts. This is what makes Bitcoin so valuable to the player based out of Colorado. The digital cryptocurrency can trace its origins back to the budding internet gambling industry and has been integrated into the business for a long time. There are typically no service fees or processing times associated with Bitcoin, where you will have to pay small fees and wait certain amounts of time for the others.
Colorado Views on Poker Gambling from The Beginning
In the early 1800’s Spanish, French, English and Irish settlers would travel along the Mississippi river to find new homes. This lead them to the intersection of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming where the first casino believed to have been built on American soil was built called, Brown’s Saloon. The saloon was opened in 1822 and travelers from all over the new country would travel there to take part in the gambling entertainment that was available there. In the modern times the gambling laws of Colorado have fluctuated since the 80’s but in November of 1990 Colorado citizens voted to legalize casino gambling in the state. Now, you will can easily find upwards of 40 casinos in the state that add to the states already wealthy tax revenues.