DraftKings To Open First Casino Sportsbook In CO This Week

DraftKings Sportsbook will open up its seventh retail location in the U.S. on Friday with the Mardi Gras Casino in Black Hawk, Colorado.
The facility is only temporary while construction is being done for the final product which is expected to be seen by 2021.

BOSTON – DraftKings Sportsbook will open their doors in Colorado at the Mardi Gras Casino beginning on Friday.

The casino is located in Black Hawk where gambling establishments reopened for business on June 17 after a twelve-week shut down due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Per the casino website, certain safety guidelines will be followed as the pandemic is still happening. Masks need to be worn at all times by both the employees and gamblers while inside the venue.

Prior to entering the facility, each person will be given a quick screening to be sure they are not sick and the casino will also be allowing for limited guests with a smaller number of gaming options available.

Despite all of this, DraftKings will be still be opening their temporary sportsbook at Mardi Gras because further construction is needed to launch the luxury sportsbook within the casino.

DraftKings Rocky Mountain High

With the opening at Mardi Gras, DraftKings will officially have seven land-based sportsbook locations in the U.S. but this will be the first sportsbook in Colorado. Other facilities are located in Iowa, Mississippi, New Jersey, and New York.

“This partnership with DraftKings allows us to provide unmatched sports betting experience to Coloradans, not only with their mobile betting access but also with this exciting DraftKings retail sportsbook location,” said George Papanier, President and Chief Executive Officer of Twin River Worldwide Holdings.

“We are looking forward to introducing our guests to the fully renovated space in the coming months and until that time, are glad to be able to give our guests the ability to safely start placing bets as many professional sports begin to resume in the coming weeks.”

While it will be a Rocky Mountain start to their sportsbook endeavor in Colorado, they are determined to reach that Rocky Mountain high once the landscape of professional sports becomes more normalized.

Organizations spanning multiple sports have recently been figuring out ways to begin playing again after having schedules suspended earlier this year.

It is no coincidence that DraftKings will begin with a temporary location within the casino now with major league sports slated to begin later this month.

The How And Where

By 2021, the permanent sportsbook’s construction will be complete, boasting a TV wall, VIP Lounge, and bar. The casino promises a state-of-the-art experience for patrons that visit the sports betting venue.

Until then, the DraftKings area within the Mardi Gras Casino can be found on the first floor. It is equipped with multiple televisions, one window for betting and payouts, and eight computer kiosks for gamblers to place sports bets on their own.

Guests as well as sports bettors in Colorado will have access to DraftKings mobile sports betting platform as well.

They can use this application to place wagers from home if they choose not to go out to the casino. Bets can be made on every major sporting event taking place in the country at both the collegiate and professional levels.

Until further notice, any gambler that enters the casino will have their temperature taken and are required to wear face masks. The sportsbook will have hand sanitizer on hand (hopefully) for guests to use. Social distancing will be enforced in the area and the cleaning and sanitizing of stations will be frequently seen in an effort to keep customers safe.

It may be a tad inconvenient but it is the new normal until COVID-19 is no longer a threat.

The main takeaway is that Coloradoans can now wager on sports at a brick and mortar location operated by DraftKings in Black Hawk or use their cellphones to place legal sports bets on whatever they want from the comfort of their homes in Colorado.

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Christina Monroe

Christina has been writing for as long as she can remember and does dedicated research on the newly regulated sports betting market. She comes from a family of sports lovers that engage in friendly bets from time to time. During the winter months, you can find Christina baking cookies and beating the entire staff at Mario Kart…the N64 version of course.