Colorado casinos prepare for higher betting limits and new games

In Colorado, City Council members of gambling towns have elected to increase betting limits and allow new games, after Amendment 77 was passed into law last year. Amendment 77 allowed the cities to decide to do away with a $100 wager cap along with adding new games, as long as the titles are approved by the Limited Gaming Control Commission.

Las Vegas Style Gaming Coming Soon

With the change, Cripple Creek, Central City, and Black Hawk will be able to offer a Las Vegas-style experience. After the amendment was approved by voters in November, Black Hawk wasted no time, as the City Council voted to approve the gambling industry changes on December 1.

The city will offer unlimited single-bet wagers, appealing to the higher limit crowd. New games can also be added to casinos, with operators considering pai gow poker, baccarat, keno, and other games. officials in Central City and Cripple Creek completed similar approvals, so each of the gambling cities will be able to offer the new services by May 1, based on the language of the amendment.

Not a Game-Changer

While the betting limit change and new game additions are a big deal, operators are saying that it will not be a game-changer. The cities in Colorado will not turn into the Vegas Strip. Ameristar Casino Resort and Spa general manager, Sean Demeule, commented that it’s not a game-changer for the venue in the sense that revenues are not expected to grow by the hundreds of millions each year. However, it does allow for more equality with nearby states.

Casinos hope to keep residents from traveling out of state to gamble and see tourists choose the gambling towns as vacation destinations. Denver, Colorado is a hot spot when it comes to Las Vegas travel. For Sin City, Denver is the second-largest feeder market. As the gambling changes come into effect later this year, operators hope that travelers using Denver for travel will consider visiting their venues.

Last month, officials began cleaning up the language of the gambling law, removing references where it discusses $100 bet limits. As far as new games are concerned, operators will need to submit details on what they wish to offer to the commission. Approval must be given first before any new games can be added to the casino floor.