Colorado: DraftKings Among The Latest Licensed For Operations

Colorado’s gaming regulator has granted 8 more licenses during its special meeting held on Thursday due to the high number of license applications.

High Number Of Applications

Having received 60 applications in total, 32 for master licenses, 18 for internet operators and 10 for sports operators, the Limited Gaming Control Commission in Colorado decided that they will convene every third Thursday of the month on a special license-only meeting to make sure they have enough time to go through the applications.

Pushing ahead with its preparations for the official launch of sports betting operations in the state scheduled for May 1, the regulator issued 8 more licenses, after it had initially granted 7 state casinos with master licenses for sports books.

Eldorado Resorts & Penn National Granted Master Licenses

Lady Luck Casino and Isle Casino Hotel, both in Black Hawk and both operated by Eldorado Resorts were granted with master sports book licenses that allow for both retail and online sports betting operations.

Ameristar Casino, also in Black Hawk and operated by Pennsylvania-based Penn National Gaming, was the third casino issued with a permission to start offering services across the board, with the chance to become the first facility of the gaming company to show its in-house designed and powered by Kambi Barstool-branded sports book.

DraftKings & theScore Bet Get Online Licenses

DraftKings has been issued with 2 licenses, one for retail sports betting and one for online operations, with the former needed along the terms of its partnership deal with Twin River for their Golden Mardi Gras casino, also in Black Hawk, that will become DraftKing’s seventh in the US.

“DraftKings is excited to receive our temporary license from the Colorado Division of Gaming and looks forward to soon being able to provide sports fans in Colorado with our top-rated mobile and online sports book product.”

R. Stanton Dodge, Chief Legal Officer, DraftKings

Along with vendor major licenses, an internet operator license was also granted to theScore Bet, the sports betting brand of Score Media Ventures, who entered the state market in a partnership with Jacobs Entertainment. Vendor major licenses in Colorado will be valid for two years and apply to companies that contract with or on behalf of an establishment licensed to operate sports betting.

Vendor Major & Minor Licenses

Global Payments Gaming Services was issued with a vendor minor license that allows the company to provide marketing services, operational and technology solutions for sports betting operators, also valid for two years and applicable to any person or business that is employed for, or acts on behalf of a licensed establishment.

With the three newly-licensed casinos, the total number of land-based facilities in the state already authorized ahead of the official launch day is 10, but not all of them are expected to be ready to go live by that time.

Next meeting of the Limited Gaming Control Commission is scheduled for March 19 and the general expectation is that further licenses will be issued then.