The Centennial State has gone from a state without any casinos to having over three dozen since voters approved limited stakes gaming back in 1991. Today, there are four full-blown commercial Colorado casinos as well as hundreds of limited stakes gaming establishments.
Today’s best Colorado casinos offer everything from slots and video poker to table games and live poker. You can find historic mining town casinos as well as new casinos attached to massive hotels and resort complexes.
Here’s our list of the top seven Colorado casinos currently operating in the state.
Cripple Creek
If you want to do some gambling at high altitudes, head on down to Cripple Creek. This old mining town sits at just under 9400’. That’s almost 3000’ lower than the Mile High City.
The reason for this is because Cripple Creek was granted exemption to offer more liberal forms of gambling because it was so drastically affected by 2003’s passage of Amendment 50. This amendment legalized limited stakes gaming in all Colorado towns above 8200’, effectively killing the mining town’s struggling casino industry.
Today, Cripple Creek is home to ten Class III casinos offering all your favorite slot machines, video poker, and table games. It’s also home to one of the top Colorado casinos - Bronco Billy’s Casino & Hotel.
1. Bronco Billy’s Casino & Hotel
- Slot Machines: 560
- Poker Room: No
- Table Games: 14 (Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Three Card Poker)
- Hotel Rooms: 117
- Online Site: No
Even if you’re not staying in their room, you’ll know when you’ve checked into the best Colorado casino hotel when you see Bronco Billy’s famous 40 ft tall neon sign.
Bronco Billy’s is one of the largest employers in Cripple Creek and is easily the nicer hotel in this old mining town. Its location cannot be beat too as all other Colorado casinos are within easy walking distance.
There are 560 slot machines and 14 table games spread out across two large gaming floors. You’ll find all your favorite slot games here but unfortunately no poker room -- but the table games should keep you happy with Ultimate Texas Hold’em and Three Card Poker on offer.
Things First-Timers Should Know Before Playing Baccarat at a CasinoSlots range from penny machines up to nickel, quarter, dime, and dollar denominations. There are also progressive jackpots available.
Bronco Billy’s might be the biggest Colorado casino resort, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a loyalty program to match the big boys. Their Rocky Rewards card works just like every other player’s club out there and you even earn points that can be used in all ten Cripple Creek area casinos.
All guests at this top rated Colorado casino are welcomed with complimentary drinks and there are restaurants and bars scattered throughout the property as well.
Other Bronco Billy’s Amenities
If you’re looking to stay at the best casino in Colorado to stay at, consider bringing the whole family. Not only are kids allowed on the casino floor, but there’s an arcade and Bronco Billy’s puts on regular events for children.
A hotel shuttle runs every 30 minutes from 9 am until 1 am and the Midnight Rose Event Center can seat up to 250 people. If you’re planning a wedding or corporate event in the Pikes Peak region, put Bronco Billy’s at the top of your list.
Is Bronco Billy’s the Best Colorado Casino?
By all metrics, yes - it’s the largest employer in town, the nicest hotel, and offers far more table games than any other Colorado casino. Even among mountain casinos, Bronco Billy’s stands alone.
But what really sets this apart as the best Colorado gambling, in my opinion, is the effort made by the management team and staff. Walking through the casino on a recent Friday night, I noticed multiple managers out on the floor chatting with players and making sure everyone was being taken care of.
One player had sadly hit the royal flush on a $5 machine and the manager was able to present her with a $250 check on the spot. Another player was looking for a specific beer at Midnight Billy’s Sports Bar and the manager grabbed it from another bar inside the casino so he could enjoy his beverage of choice. These small things matter and make for the best experience possible when gambling in Colorado.
Our Runner Up Colorado Casino
Jorgensen's Casino is a great little casino right in the middle of Cripple Creek. If you're looking for the best Colorado casinos off the beaten path, this is a perfect choice.
It’s got a Wild West saloon theme going on inside and out and features 235 slot machines, video poker, and video keno. There are also two table games offering Ultimate Texas Hold’em.
If you show your player’s club card from any of Cripple Creek’s ten casinos, you’ll receive food and beverage credits at Johnny’s Cafe and Saloon. How’s them apples?!
Central Colorado Casinos
Traveling east to west, the next two stops on our list of the best Colorado casinos are found between Canon City and Pueblo. Both casinos sit at around 6000’ so you’ll want a puffer if you’re coming from the summit of Pikes Peak.
- Super Casino
- Gold Mine Casino & Guide Service
Canon City
Situated at the convergence of I-25 and US-50, Canon City is dead center in the state and makes for a great stop on a Colorado gambling road trip. Stake Tools Gulch Casino to the north and the Cat Stone Casino to the south and you’ve got a good bookend stop for a day trip around southern Colorado.
Unfortunately, that’s all the time you’d really want to spend in Canon City as the best Colorado casino and runner up are really not that exciting.
2. Super Casino
- Slot Machines: 300
- Poker Room: No
- Table Games: 5 (Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Three Card Poker)
- Video Poker: 10
- Online Site: 32Red
- Hotel Rooms: 30
Colorado may not have a lot of big casino options but at least it’s the home of US Poker Hall of Famer Sonny Ybarra. Sonny cut his teeth as a card room dealer and manager in the LA poker scene before moving operations to the Centennial State.
At one point Ybarra owned six poker rooms in the Denver Metro Area and another half dozen around southern Colorado. One of those rooms, the Double Down Saloon in Cañon City, was so popular Ybarra bought the supermarket across the street and connected the two buildings to make the biggest poker room in the Rockies.
Unfortunately, Sonny passed away in a helicopter accident while counting chips from a charity tournament in 2003. His wife took control of the business and changed the name of the complex to Super Casino before selling it to its current owners in 2016.
So while Sonny Ybarr isn’t watching over the best Colorado casino, he’d certainly approve of the way his legacy lives on. The gaming floor is spotless and features 300 slot machines, five table games, and video poker. Table games include blackjack, craps, roulette, and Three Card Poker. Sadly, there is no poker room at this time.
If you plan on sticking around, the Super Casino also offers thirty hotel rooms. But remember, no pets or smoking allowed.
While there is not a dedicated online gaming site for Super Casino, Sonny’s baby still lives on at 32Red.
3. Gold Mine Casino & Guide Service
- Slot Machines: 300
- Poker Room: No
- Table Games: 4 (Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Spanish 21)
- Online Site: 32Red
- Hotel Rooms: 25
Just a few blocks down Royal Gorge Blvd from the best Colorado casino, you’ll find another solid option in the Gold Mine Casino & Guide Service. Both Colorado casinos are about a 25 minute drive west to Pueblo’s Colorado Joint & Kansas Star Casino.
Similar to Super Casino, the Gold Mine has recently renovated and updated their entire facility including all of their loan slot machines. They too offer 32Red branded slots and videos poker as well as roulette, craps, and Spanish 21.
Gold Mine Casino differentiates themselves from Super Casino by offering guided hunting and fishing trips into the nearby San Isabel National Forest. Whether you’re after elk, mule deer, turkey, or rainbow trout, one of their knowledgeable guides will help increase your odds of bagging a trophy.
Gold Mine Casino does not have a hotel but guests are welcome to bring an RV and hook up at their designated space behind the casino. Other than that, there aren’t many amenities here aside from the restaurant and bar.
And that’s alright. Location, location, location. The Gold Mine is literally across the street from the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park. And those two mountainsides you see in the distance? That’s the Collegiate Peaks wilderness area and some of the most breathtaking scenery in the state.
Pueblo
Pueblo is the only city in America situated between two major rivers – the Arkansas River to the east and the Colorado River to the west. It also happens to be located exactly halfway between Denver and Colorado Springs. Which probably explains why the two Colorado casinos here are more centrally located than the cities they serve.
- Colorado Joint & Kansas Star Casino
- Parks Las Vegas Casino & Resort
4. Colorado Joint & Kansas Star Casino
- Slot Machines: 1,200+
- Poker Room: 28 tables
- Table Games: 30 (Blackjack, Mini-Baccarat, Casino War, Four Card Poker, Mississippi Stud, Rapid Crew, roulette, spanish 21)
- Online Site: None
- Hotel Rooms: 508 w/ 80 suites
You read that right - there’s a Kansas casino in Colorado! Well sorta… The Kansas Star Casino is actually owned by a consortium of Kansas businesses and operated by Peninsula Pacific, which also owns Colorado’s Bisz’s Casino in Victor.
Locals voted for Amendment 52 in 2008 which legalized centrifugal roulette, electronic bingo, and electronic instant racing games. But in true Colorado fashion, Pueblo voters shot down a proposal to build a full scale casino in 2013.
That didn’t stop Peninsula Pacific who built the Colorado Joint anyway - focusing mainly on dining and breaking the Kansas monopoly on legal gambling for their customers. And it worked. Pueblo voters approved a measure allowing the Colorado Joint to offer traditional table games in 2019.
Today this Colorado casino boasts one of the state’s largest gaming floors along with a massive poker room. There are over 1200 slot machines to choose from as well as all your favorite table games and electronic versions of various games.
Colorado Joint’s poker room consistently ranks as one of the highest traffic rooms in southern Colorado. In fact, the room frequently hosts tournament series and has hosted stops on the Rocky Mountain Championship Poker Tour.
Other amenities at this Colorado cardroom include a full service spa, fitness center, and indoor water park with multiple slides and a lazy river. There’s also a nice selection of restaurants to choose from although the tacos at the food stand in the parking lot of the Parks Las Vegas Casino two miles to the west cannot be beat.
Colorado Joint does not currently offer an online gaming site but perhaps that will change once they figure out how to offer water park perks through a laptop…
5. Parks Las Vegas Casino & Resort
- Slot Machines: 200+
- Poker Room: No
- Table Games: 4 (Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Texas Hold’em)
- Video Poker: 8
- Online Site: None
- Hotel Rooms: 37
Yes, there’s a Nevada style casino in Colorado! Kinda...
Like Bisz’s in Victor, Parks Las Vegas Casino & Resort is legally considered a Mineral Spirituals and Healing Center with slot machines and blackjack dealt by volition of whatever higher power you believe in. So don’t call the cops - this place is legit!
Naturally the Colorado Gaming Commissioned strongly disagrees and has been cracking down on these “casinos” in recent years. At one point there were half a dozen mineral spiraling joints in Colorado but now Parks Las Vegas is pretty much the only game in town.
Too bad, because the Colorado cardroom experience is truly unmatched. Just look at that sweet cherry oak racebook / sportsbook / pit barehood!
I visited Parks Las Vegas last year and caught a dealers boxed set of 21’s for $21,000. I followed that up with a royal flush for $240 and called it a night. As expected, they do not offer a loyalty program or comps but the prices at the taco stand in the parking lot cannot be beat.
There are 37 hotel rooms on premises and two RV spots available for travelin’ miners. Unlike the Colorado Joint, Parks Las Vegas is just a short walk from some decent eats in Pueblo.
Colorado Springs
Just 12 miles north of Pikes Peak, Colorado Springs lies at an elevation of 6,035’. That means you shouldn’t feel the need for supplemental oxygen during your visit to the following Colorado gambling places.
- Double Eagle Casino & Hotel
- SaberTooth Casino
- Tri-Lakes Centerpoint
6. Double Eagle Casino & Hotel
- Slot Machines: 500
- Poker Room: Yes
- Table Games: 9 (Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Pai Gow)
- Video Poker: 12
- Online Site: Migromania
- Room: 98
The Double Eagle Casino opened in 1995 and was the first full service casino in Colorado outside of Cripple Creek, Central City, and Black Hawk. Unfortunately, it’s showing its age.
The casino recently completed a long overdue expansion which added 40 more slot machines as well as nine additional table games and a new poker room. But the overall aesthetic is stuck in the 90s and there’s none of the bells and whistles you find at other Colorado casinos.
Still, the Double Eagle is in a prime location for tourists visiting the area and obviously fills a need in the local market. VLTs on the gaming floor go up to $5 denomination and there’s a players club with typical tier benefits.
The Double Eagle is the westernmost of our Colorado casinos and there are no others to the west. To the south you’ll find the Tri-Lakes Centerpoint 30 minutes away and the Kansas Star and Colorado Joint are both about an hour to the east. To the north you’ll begin climbing the 14,115’ Pikes Peak - the second most driven mountain in the world behind only Mt Evans.
7. SaberTooth Casino
- Slot Machines: 400+
- Poker Room: Yes
- Table Games: 13 (Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Pai Gow)
- Video Poker: 16
- Online Site: Jambo Casino
- Hotel Rooms: N/A
Moving just a few miles northeast from Double Eagle takes you out of Colorado Springs proper and into the charming town of Monument. Here you’ll find another locally owned casino with a loyal following in the SaberTooth Casino.
Inside you’ll find more than 400 slot machines as well as classic casino table games. Keno is offered nightly and SaberTooth is one of two Colorado cardrooms to offer Pai Gow.
If you’re interested in earning rewards, SaberTooth’s Club SBC offers all the usual perks including free play, birthday gifts, anniversary gifts, and special event invitations.
SaberTooth does not currently offer a hotel but there are several chain hotels within a couple blocks of the casino. And let’s be honest, you’re staying in the Pikes Peak Mountains either to hike 14’ers or conquer said 14’ers your self. Nobody needs a post-gamble nap during a once in a lifetime mountain climbing experience.
Tri-Lakes Centerpoint
Palmer Lake (pop 1,278) lays claim to being Colorado’s oldest townsite but I’m pretty sure the good folks of Monument (pop 7,858) would take issue with that. Either way, both are tiny little burgs that time forgot.
Which makes it the perfect place for the Tri-Lakes Centerpoint, the smallest of all Colorado cardrooms. This former VLC (video leisure console) establishment went fully automated in 2016 when Migromania purchased the property and filled it with their own slot machines.
Local ownership is a bit of a revolving door but recent reports indicate Brian Avery and his team have turned things around at the Centerpoint. Avery also owns the Platte Valley Mall in nearby Elizabeth (pop 2,483).
Recent renovations to the casino include a small stage for live music and a revamped kitchen to handle the increased demand for food at the full service bar.
With a population of just 7,858, Monument isn’t quite big enough to support a larger casino. But the Tri-Lakes Centerpoint does alright - Monument is smack in the middle of the fast growing Tech Corridor connecting Colorado Springs and Castlerock.
Those same tech workers also live in Palmer Lake, Woodmoor, Gleneagles, Sheridan, and the other quaint little towns dotting the Tri-Lakes area - making the Tri-Lakes Centerpoint the perfect size for the local market.
More Colorado Gambling Options
Unfortunately that covers all the land based casinos in Colorado. There simply aren’t that many mountains with populations over 50,000.
However, there are a handful of charitable bingo halls and veterans clubs sprinkled around the state. Of course there’s always online gambling for those times you simply must drop a few bucks on poker, blackjack, or slots.
Colorado Online Poker & Gambling
Colorado started the year offering in state poker at Bisz’s casino in Victor and WSOP.com. Since then both Global Poker and Chumba have launched social poker sites while Old Forge Gaming and ClubWPT continue to grow their subscription based sites.
Despite a rough start, WSOP.com and Baazi continue to dominate Colorado online poker with year end numbers roughly double that of New Jersey.
Sure, those numbers are nothing to write home about but at least Colorado online poker laws allow for liquidity sharing – meaning WSOP.com CO could potentially combine players with NV, NJ, and/or BS, UK, and DE.
As for online casinos and sportsbooks, BetRivers became the first operator to launch in May of 2020. That was quickly followed by FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and a host of other big names.
It’s early yet but initial signs point towards Colorado becoming one of the bigger regulated online gambling states in terms of revenue generated.
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Give us a follow on Twitter @Puntegrind for even more mountains to grind on the Colorado poker scene. And check out our other state specific Guinds for a laugh and insight into where we’re heading with online poker in the USA.
