While online poker relatively recently joined the list of gambling types in the state of Colorado, the game of poker and its assorted brethren have been residents of Colorado practically since Americans have. Cities like Black Hawk, Cripple Creek, and Central City support dozens of land-based casino gambling sites among them.
The days of frontier gambling may be in the past, but online poker and online gambling are opening up new horizons for Colorado poker players– horizons we’ll explore as we look at the law, the facts and the recent developments regarding legal online poker in the state of Colorado.
Online Poker in Colorado
In Colorado, you can play poker online, and while online poker for real money remains unregulated within the state, many players choose to participate in real-money games on offshore poker platforms.
As a state that hosts a fair amount of land-based casinos and live poker, Colorado is a natural hub for online poker as well. The enthusiasm for the game is evident in the big turnouts and steadily growing games across Colorado’s poker rooms, and it’s certain that thousands more are playing online poker, perhaps in even bigger games.
Colorado online poker players should only use poker sites that hold a valid license and proper regulation. By sticking with legal poker sites, poker players have a better shot at secure, fair games and reliable banking that gives them quick access to their money.
Top Sites for Online Poker in Colorado
If you’re from Colorado and want to sign up at an online poker room, you won’t have much trouble finding a suitable match. All of the major US-friendly online poker sites accept players from the state of Colorado. In the state of Colorado you won’t have a problem locating an online poker site that will let you sign up, deposit and play for real money. We strongly suggest narrowing your list of potential rooms to the legally regulated online poker rooms on our real money poker page.
Ignition - Top Real-Money Poker Site for Colorado Players
BetOnline - Best Colorado Poker Site for Beginners
Everygame Poker – Variety of Tournaments for Colorado Poker Players
Ignition brings $1.5M+ in weekly poker tournament guarantees to Colorado, alongside fast-fold Zone Poker and anonymous cash tables. Popular MTTs include Sunday majors and weekday bounty events, all playable via browser without downloads. Low-to-mid stakes cash games stay busy, and crypto payouts are processed within hours. With solid game variety, privacy-focused tables, and clean mobile/desktop access, Colorado players seeking steady volume and smooth execution will feel at home.
High traffic with active cash games and tournaments.
100% up to $1,000 bonus with tournament tickets.
Fast crypto payments with no fees.
Many tournament options, including PKOs and Sunday Majors.
Min Deposit
10
Payout Speed
1 Day
Best Colorado Poker Site for Beginners
BetOnline gives Colorado poker players an approachable way to ease into real-money games. Low-stakes tables, regular freerolls, and soft competition help reduce the learning curve while offering enough volume to stay engaged. The site is crypto-friendly, mobile-optimized, and features a clean lobby that doesn’t overwhelm new users. Whether you’re dabbling in Boost Poker or building consistency in sit & gos, the overall setup is smooth and rewarding for beginners looking to grow their skills and bankroll.
Soft tournament fields and approachable structures make this a great fit for casual Colorado grinders. Low buy-ins and slower-paced games reduce pressure, while daily freerolls and guaranteed events ensure steady value. There’s less risk of running into seasoned pros, and more chances to build confidence in real-money environments. While prize pools aren’t massive, the balance of comfort and consistency creates a strong learning ground for players looking to enjoy tournament poker without getting overwhelmed or outmatched.
Is Poker or Gambling Legal in Colorado?
Poker players from CO are naturally curious about how the state’s gambling laws could apply to the relatively new forum of peer-to-peer online poker. While we don’t claim expertise on the issue, we have assembled some useful resources to help you navigate the question of whether playing online poker is legal in Colorado. Here a a few relevant aspects of Colorado code that could pertain to Internet poker:
It is a crime to engage in any gambling, which is defined as:
“risking any money, credit, deposit, or other thing of value for gain contingent in whole or in part upon lot, chance, the operation of a gambling device, or the happening or outcome of an event, including a sporting event, over which the person taking a risk has no control” (Section 18-10-102(2))
With exceptions made for social gambling and authorized gambling.
The penalty for engaging in gambling as a player in Colorado: A fine. Gambling is a class 1 petty offense in Colorado (Section 18-10-103(1)). Far stricter penalties are assigned to those who are in the business of operating or promoting illegal gambling.
Colorado law makes it a crime if someone to
“knowingly transmits or receives gambling information by telephone, telegraph, radio, semaphore, or other means or knowingly installs or maintains equipment for the transmission” (Section 18-10-106(1))
Proving a Crime
Proving a crime was committed is a key concern for Colorado law enforcement. Gambling devices like slot and roulette machines therefore garner a lot of attention from authorities. They serve as hard proof of an illegal gambling operator’s intentions. We were unable to locate case law clarifying whether or not this could apply to playing Colorado online poker. However, it appears to target operators and not players.
Players reviewing Colorado law are often confused by the crime of “professional gambling,” (Section 18-10-103(2)) which sounds as if it might apply to a full-time poker player. This charge is actually reserved for individuals who are operating of profiting from the operation of illegal gambling activity.
Colorado code instructs officials to “liberally” construe anti-gambling laws (Section 18-10-101(2)), which essentially means that the laws should be applied broadly assume ambiguous activity not directly described by code, but similar in nature to described actions, to be illegal.
The issue of online poker’s legality from a player perspective is a tricky one in every state. The state’s laws are broad, somewhat dated and exceedingly vague on important points. For this reason, we suggest that players review Colorado code for themselves to gain a stronger understanding of the law as it might apply to online poker. As is always the case, it is imperative to seek professional legal advice before you do anything that could involve criminal exposure.
Will Colorado Regulate Online Poker?
The state seems closer than many, but not as close as some, when it comes to this question. In May of 2012, CardPlayer reported that the Colorado Gaming Association had written a draft bill seeking to regulate online poker, but there have been no updates since that report.
Still, recent gambling expansion efforts in the state have been fairly successful, as casino resorts now dot the landscape in cities like Cripple Creek, Black Hawk, and Central City. With the CGA on board, it seems as if Colorado would quickly jump on board as other states roll out products – if they don’t end up taking the lead themselves.
Colorado Gambling Facts
Gambling has deep roots in Colorado, dating back to the mining boom of the 1800s when poker games were a staple in saloons across the state. In its most recent history, Colorado launched its state lottery in 1982 and approved casino gambling through a constitutional amendment in 1990. Today, the state offers a strong lineup of land-based gambling options. Key casino hubs include:
Black Hawk (15 casinos) - Home to Wild Card Saloon, Sasquatch Casino, and others
Cripple Creek (11 casinos) - Includes Bronco Billy’s,. Century Casino, and Colorado Grande
Centra City (6 casinos) - Features Grand Z Casino Hotel and Johnny Z’s
Between state-run lottery games, tribal casinos, and commercial resorts, Colorado delivers a full-spectrum gambling experience. Earlier limits on bet sizes have been lifted, bringing wagering options in line with national standards.
Regulated Gambling Options
For a state that embraced regulated gambling a relatively short time ago, Colorado has no shortage of options for gamblers. There’s the state lottery, pari-mutuel wagering, tribal gambling choices and multiple casinos to choose from. In the past, Colorado casinos imposed restrictions that permitted patrons to place only very small maximum wagers. They've eased restrictions, aligning wagering limits more with a typical casino experience for most gamblers.
Does Colorado Offer any Regulated Online Gambling?
While there are regulated poker rooms accepting players from Colorado, the state of Colorado does not regulate any online gambling sites or offer any licenses for online poker sites in CO and so on. It does seem likely that Colorado will regulate some form of online gambling in the near future (most likely poker). However, at the time of this article there are no online gambling sites licensed or regulated directly by the state.
Colorado Gambling Resources
Responsible gambling is key to keeping play safe and sustainable. Colorado players can access help through a number of local and natural resources.
While Colorado hasn’t legalized or regulated online poker at the state level, residents can still access real-money games through offshore poker sites. These platforms operate outside U.S. jurisdiction but continue to accept Colorado players. There’s no record of player prosecutions for online poker in the state, and sites like Ignition, Bovada, and BetOnline remain popular picks. If you’re looking to play, choose a site with a strong track record–fair games, secure payments, and a consistent player pool matter more than flashy bonuses.
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Jennifer Newell is a freelance writer at LegalUsPokerSites. She has two decades of experience in the iGaming industry. She is a respected poker media member, contributing to publications and websites like USA Today, PokerStars, and PokerScout. Her knowledge spans gambling legislation and the broader online gaming world. She has spent years advocating for diversity, most notably gender equity in the traditionally male-dominated poker sphere.
Sources & Citations For This Article on Colorado Online Poker
