Colorado’s sports betting market is set to go live on May 1 despite the absence of sports during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission (CLGCC) approved more sports wagering licenses and made final preparations to launch sports wagering operations in Colorado on May 1 during a teleconference meeting held on April 16.
What was covered in the meeting?
During Thursday’s meeting, the state regulator approved more sports wagering license, finalized budget arrangements and made revisions to the list of wagers that will be offered in the state.
The Commission approved the removal of markets for in-play wagering on NCAA games which Colorado’s voter-approved statute restricts.
Dan Hartman, director of the Colorado Division of Gaming asked operators about launching during the absence of sporting events. He said that there was enthusiasm despite the lack of events likely due to the opportunities to acquire customers in the run-up to football season.
Hartman said: “We have some operators that are excited about getting started even though it’s a slow time for sports.”
Approved licenses
During Thursday’s meeting, the state regulator approved several licenses relating to sports wagering in Colorado.
Master licenses were awarded to Wildwood Casino at Cripple Creek, The Famous Bonanza Casino Corp., Easy Street Casino, Grand Z Casino, Johnny Z Casino and Z Casino Black Hawk.
Temporary retail and internet sports betting operator licences were also awarded to Betfred Sports, BetAmerica and the Nevada-based operator SuperBook, which will serve the state through an agreement with Jacobs Entertainment.
The state regulator also issued temporary vendor major licenses to Betbull Limited and SBTech Malta Limited.
Earlier this month, the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission (CLGCC) held a meeting where it approved 32 more licenses related to the state’s sports wagering market. During this meeting, the regulator approved sports betting licenses for several land-based casinos and online operators such as William Hill and Roar Digital.
During Thursday’s meeting, Hartman said that 25 internet sports betting licence holders and 19 land-based venues will be able to launch operations in time for the May 1 launch date.
Sports wagering in Colorado
The Centennial State narrowly legalized sports betting in November 2019 after voters approved the sports betting measure through a referendum.
Like New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Indiana, Colorado will allow sports bettors to register online accounts remotely from anywhere within state lines. When it comes to in-person wagering, only three towns in the state have been granted approval to offer in-person betting.
