The state of Colorado has been preparing to launch sports betting on May 1 for the last few months. The coronavirus pandemic has changed several things throughout the country, but it hasn’t changed the sports betting launch date in Colorado.
Live sports in the United States continue to be shut down due to the pandemic, and there won’t be many options for sportsbooks or bettors on May 1, but the plans have not changed. There are four sportsbooks ready to go on Friday, with at least 13 other sportsbooks set to launch in 2020.
Casinos in Cripple Creek, Black Hawk, and Central City will house all of the retail sportsbooks in the state, but these locations are currently closed. Colorado Governor Jared Polis has issued a statewide “safer-at-home” order, and nonessential businesses will remain closed through May.
Even though retail sports betting won’t be available right away, there are four major sports betting companies that are set to offer their services to customers. These sportsbooks have been trying to find other betting options, and residents in Colorado should be able to find enough betting options to hold them over.
The four online sportsbooks ready to launch are DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and BetRivers.
BetMGM
BetMGM is a product of MGM Resorts, and Colorado will be the fifth state that they have ventured into. BetMGM will be available as a mobile app that can be downloaded on both Android and iOS devices. The company is hoping to launch a retail sportsbook in the state as well, but they have yet to choose a location.
BetRivers
BetRivers will also have a mobile app that can be downloaded on both Android and iOS platforms. BetRivers has started to venture into the world of table tennis, and they are currently live streaming matches. There will be plenty of options for bettors through BetRivers.
FanDuel
FanDuel got its start as a daily fantasy sports operator, but it has grown into one of the top sportsbooks in the industry. Residents of Colorado can currently play on the DFS side of the site, but the mobile sportsbook will go live on May 1.
FanDuel has a terrific mobile app that can be downloaded on both platforms, and they will have plenty of betting options available upon launch. FanDuel is set to offer free-to-play games, which will allow customers to build up some credit for when live sports do return.
DraftKings
DraftKings is the top competitor to FanDuel in the DFS market as well as the sports betting industry. Their mobile apps are highly rated and extremely user friendly, and they see plenty of action.
DraftKings is set to offer a retail sportsbook at the Golden Mardi Gras Casino in Black Hawk when the state opens back up. There will still be many other great betting options on the mobile site until that time comes.
There are some other sportsbooks set to launch soon, but they will not be ready on May 1. Betwildwood appears to be the closest to joining this group of four, as they have announced a launch date of sometime in May.
Fox Bet and SBK are also planning on launching their online betting site at some point in May, but they will be playing catch up when they join the market.
It has taken state lawmakers in Colorado several months to go through all of the applications and issue licenses. There were several different licenses available to sports betting companies, and the state was flooded with applications. Colorado is expected to be one of the biggest markets for sports betting when both retail and mobile betting are live.
