Legal Online Poker For Colorado Residents
Welcome to LegalPokerColorado.com, the number one resource for the best legal Colorado online poker sites. Here, you're going to learn about the Colorado online poker statutes and where it is safe to play online poker in Colorado. Keep it clicked here for the most up to date information about the current status of online poker sites accepting Colorado residents.
Is Online Poker Legal In Colorado?
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When it comes to poker, the Colorado gambling laws are pretty permissive. It can safely be played online or offline but in either case it must be played within a residence. The only way you can go wrong with online poker in Colorado is if you decide to open up your own online poker room. In that case, the state isn't very friendly and we would strongly advise against doing this.
Legal Online Poker Sites For Colorado Residents
After trying out a huge number of online poker sites that accept Colorado residents, we have built a list of some of the top ones out there where all Colorado residents are warmly welcome. All of these sites will welcome you with open arms and all of them are top of the line poker rooms. You can play all the different types of online poker and also play in some very big poker tournaments.
Colorado is no stranger to the complex game of poker. For years some of the best players in the nation have hailed from the great mountains of Colorado. These players have all chosen one place to play as well and that place is BetOnline. It is no surprise that this is the site the champions have chosen as their stomping ground, after all so many can rise from humble beginnings with just the slightest push in the right direction and BetOnline practically shoves people to the winners circle.
How does it help so many to rise through the ranks quickly? The secret lies in the deposit bonus. With BetOnline any player who signs up has the chance at getting 200% of their first deposit back. That’s double what is put in given back to new players. For any poker player who is determined to be one of the best this extra money quickly helps them establish themselves in the sites leaderboards. What may seem like an insignificant amount of money by the time a player is at the top of the leaderboards is the lifeblood that sustained so many new players on BetOnline and the amazing part is they still offer this deposit bonus even now. Any Colorado resident who has a burning passion for poker owes it to themselves to begin their ascent at BetOnline.
While the air may be thin in the state that is the home to the Rocky Mountain range, the resident’s wallets are thick as pea soup after going to SportsBetting to play in their poker room. How can one site be so profitable for so many residents across the state? The secret lies in the plethora of guaranteed tournaments and skill challenges that SportsBetting has running for their players throughout the week.
When someone goes to SportsBetting to play they are going to win. Every week there is a $10,000 dollar guaranteed money tournament and throughout the week there are dozens of smaller tournaments. The money adds up quick and by the end of the week $250,000 dollars in guaranteed tournaments has been played and many users find themselves a whole lot richer. For a little extra cash on the side SportsBetting also often has a skill challenge going where each week players must try and get a certain hand or win in a certain way. For someone who plays a lot of poker these skill challenges will be easy to accomplish and essentially just be free money waiting for the taking. Still they add to the excitement of every hand in every game.
Playing poker online in Colorado is a shady area from a legal point of view. Legislation hasn't been updated to match nowadays' technology level, so we are still back in the times where "transmitting or receiving gambling information, in a knowingly matter, over telephone, telegraph, semaphore or any other means, is a class three misdemeanor".
Playing poker online would probably be regarded as transmitting gambling information over some communication channel. Nevertheless, no one has ever been prosecuted for breaking this law in Colorado so, as long as you don't plan to open your own online poker service, you can rest assured that law enforcement representatives won't be paying you any visits. Monitoring Internet connections is difficult for any state or federal agency, if not illegal, so no one will come after you for playing a few hands online every once in a while.
Is Land Based Poker Legal in Colorado?
For poker fanatics who live deep in the heart of the Colorado Rockies, there may be a bit of confusion as to the legal status of their favorite hobby, especially considering the most recent revision of Colorado statutes. Many residents wonder whether or not it is legal for them to play poker for money. The answer, unfortunately, in not quite black and white.
While it’s true that in an effort to control organized crime within the state Colorado shut down and criminalized all forms of gambling, (which, according to the letter of the law leaves no doubt that poker would be included) recent amendments to that law have allowed Colorado residents to play poker for money in various, state licensed facilities located throughout the state.
Aside from legal poker rooms, Colorado also has interesting legislation regarding private games. While they strictly outlaw even participation in gambling, this law does not apply if the gambling takes place inside a private residence that does not host poker “for profit.” This means that while it would be illegal to pay for a seat in a privately run game where you compete for money or to play in any poker room where a “rake” or percentage of each pot is collected as profit for the poker room, is actually legal to play in a private establishment where this is not the case, whether the “gambling place” is licensed by the state commission or not.
Colorado residents may very well be wondering what this means for private games. If one takes place in an illegal game that collects profits, they will be subject to a misdemeanor and could face fines. However, this pales in comparison to what would happen if one is convicted of HOSTING a poker game for profit. In that case, they could be charged with a felony and face prison time.
The lesson would seem to be that when it comes to private poker games, as long as there are no fees associated with playing, even if money is wagered, all parties are safe from legal prosecution.
Where to Play Legal Poker in Colorado
In many different facets, Colorado seems to be at the forefront of progressive policies and legal poker rooms are no exception. Colorado residents may participate in poker tournaments where they may place bets and wagers in any number of casinos spread around the state, mainly based near smaller, historically relevant cities.
Although these legal poker host only no limit hold ‘em tournaments, therefore forsaking just about all other variants of poker, they offer a full range of buy-ins in hopes of successfully serving the needs of all Colorado residents, no matter the stakes of game they wish to participate in.
If a player wishes to play a game more for recreation without potentially losing a lot of money, they may enter in a tournament for as low as $30. On the other hand, if a player considers themselves a seasoned poker veteran, they may enter in a legal Colorado tournament with a buy-in of over $300 to hopefully rack in a much larger chunk of winnings.
Colorado’s state laws are very tolerant of land based poker, however, for residents who are a far drive away from the legal casinos or even for players who crave some variety in how they play poker, it may not be the very best option.
Note: The facts presented on this website shouldn't be taken as legal advice about online poker sites that accept USA Players. We are not legal counselors, but rather a handful of enthusiastic poker players who want to share our knowledge and help others understand the legal implications of playing online poker in Colorado. Should you believe that you need further and perhaps more accurate advice, please consult with an attorney.
