Colorado’s sports gambling fans are counting down the days to May 1 when the state’s legal sportsbooks can start to operate. Companies wishing to get in on the action have already filed applications for their spot in the lineup and, according to the commission’s schedule of events, those applications, tied to the issuance of master licenses, is on the agenda for its meeting this February 20. As it stands now, there are seven companies that are being considered for one of the master licenses.
The seven applicants include Brass Ass Casino, Dostal Alley, Double Eagle Hotel & Casino, McGill’s Hotel & Casino, Midnight Rose Hotel & Casino, Monarch Casino Resort and Spa and the Saratoga Casino Black Hawk. Of these properties, four are owned by Colorado Casinos. In addition, Double Eagle is also on the books for consideration of its application for a manufacturing and distribution license under the state’s limited gaming licensing protocols.
These are only the first seven that are on the plate for the upcoming meeting. Colorado has over 30 casinos, split between commercial and tribal-owned venues, and most – if not all – are expected to submit a sports gambling application at some point. Century Casinos and Twin River Worldwide Holdings are just two that are more than anxious to get going in the state, and which have been working diligently to set up their relative programs. Century, already operating 11 venues in Colorado after being founded in 1992, has a deal with Circa Sports out of Vegas to offer mobile sports gambling and Twin River just signed a deal with both FanDuel and DraftKings last month to bring in their sports gambling technology to possibly all four of the casino operator’s properties in the state.
Colorado’s sports gambling industry was created to offer three types of licenses – master, operator and Internet provider. Master licenses are only given to those entities already licensed to operate a casino in the state. According to information provided by the Suzanne Karrer of the Colorado Department of Revenue, 28 applications for this license type had been submitted as of January 16. Ten applications had been received for an operator license, which allows for the launch of a retail sportsbook, and 13 Internet provider license applications as of the same date had also been received.
The state is going to miss two of the more prominent sports gambling possibilities of the year – the Super Bowl in the NFL and the March Madness men’s basketball championship in the NCAA. However, with sports gambling becoming more prevalent across the country, there will still be plenty of opportunities going forward.
