Wildwood Casino scores sports betting deal

In Colorado, American Gaming Group LLC (AAG), which owns and operates the Wildwood Casino in the former gold mining camp of Cripple Creek, has announced that it has penned an agreement with global provider of turnkey race and sports book solutions, ISI Race & Sports (ISI), to provide software, hardware and marketing services for its coming sports betting offering.

Sports wagering was legalized in the Centennial State in November 2019 when voters narrowly passed Proposition DD; the initiative inching by with 50.8 percent of the vote.

Amelco platform:

Commenting on the new partnership, Chief Executive Officer for AAG, Joseph J. Canfora, said…

“Wildwood has become the market leader for casinos in Cripple Creek and we wanted a partner who could help us achieve the same status for retail and online sports betting.

“We are able to combine our extensive knowledge of the local Colorado market with ISI’s 20 years offering sports betting services and the Amelco betting platform and native mobile apps to create a winning experience for our customers.”

Nevada-based Amelco supplies bespoke trading and sportsbook solutions to the industry’s multi-territory tier-one operators, including the Stars Group, GVC Holdings and Flutter.

Under the terms of the agreement and pending final licensing approval from the Colorado Division of Gaming, hardware, software and marketing services will be provided by ISI for Wildwood Casino’s soon to be live sports betting offering.

Cripple Creek property:

Operating since 2008, the 24-hour Vegas-style casino at 119 Carbonate Street is the Cripple Creek market’s newest full-service gambling property and features more than 500 slot machines, 14 table games, a diner and sports bar and grill.

AAG is also in the midst of building the $14 million Wildwood Hotel, which officials hope will help address the historic city’s room shortage.

Connected to the casino by a heated porte cochere, the four-story, 104-room and suites hotel will reportedly feature a multi-use lobby complete with a double-sided fireplace, as well as a functional rooftop that can host events for up to 100 people. After breaking ground on the hotel on June 4, 2019, the owners expect a summer or fall 2020 grand opening.

Also commenting on the new alliance, ISI President, Bill Stearns, said…

“We are very excited about the opportunity to help bring sports betting to Colorado.

“We’ve been doing this for more than 20 years and have developed best practices that help our partners get out of the gate early and maintain their lead in sports betting.”

In addition to the Wildwood Casino, AAG is already responsible for the 67-room Gold King Inn, which is reportedly to be re-branded as the Wildwood Inn, and the 17-room Cripple Creek Motel.

Still possible May 1 launch:

Considering that there are no major sports to bet on, it’s difficult to imagine sports betting launching, but if Colorado keeps its current timeline, it could happen. Working toward a May 1 launch, the western U.S state’s gaming regulators have handed out sports betting licenses to multiple companies in the state, including in the cities of Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek.

With casinos, bars, restaurants, gyms and other large gathering places being shut down for 30 days by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on March 16, 2020, due to the need to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, whether or not the May target is feasible is another matter altogether.

April discussions:

Legal Sports Report cites Colorado Division of Gaming Director Dan Hartman, as saying…

“We have not really approached the launch date yet.

“We’re still moving everything forward as far a licensing and everything to make sure we reach that May 1 date and are able to go. Those discussions certainly will happen later on, probably in April as this COVID crisis moves forward and we see where the casino industry is at, at this time.”

If launched by May 1, the state’s new sports betting market would have an opportunity to get up to speed before the start of the 2020 NFL football season, which is scheduled to kick off on Sept. 10.