Just like the state’s approach to many controversial yet progressive laws, Colorado became one of the first states in the nation to legalize Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) and it hasn’t looked back. Keep reading to find out how you can get the most out of your DFS betting experience in Colorado.

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• We use trusted sources such as: The Denver Post and the The Colorado Springs Gazette to stay on top of all industry related news and developments.
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• We keep on top of any changes to the law by closely following the movements of the Colorado Division of Gaming and the Division of Professions and Occupations in Colorado.

Online Daily Fantasy Sports in Colorado – Overview

As far as the path to legalizing Daily Fantasy Sports goes, Colorado’s was fast and easy compared to many other states in the US. As of 2016, Colorado became the 5th state to legalize DFS, and since then the state’s DFS players have been able to rest easy knowing that they are safe to bet on their favorite fantasy sports. A large element to enacting legislation was that there could now be a number of consumer protection clauses that would prevent problem gambling.

Amateur sporting events and college games are prohibited from being bet on, presumably as another measure to ensure that athletes not at the professional level are protected from external pressures to perform. Whilst many will miss the ability to bet on college games, there are still so many leagues that Colorado’s fantasy sports lovers can get excited about.

Below, we have listed the top sports leagues in Colorado and how they can be played.

Online Daily Fantasy NHL – An Avalanche of Prizes

There may be no other state that is known to love Ice Hockey quite like Colorado. After all, fans of the Colorado Avalanche led the team to a record-setting 11 years straight of sell-out attendance at their 18,000 seat home ground. The NHL Fantasy League asks contestants to draft teams of 9 players from at least 3 different teams and awards point to players for their goals, assists, and blocked shots, with goalkeepers, also earning more points for successful gameplay. We can only imagine how many winning records Avalanche fans must be breaking in Fantasy matches too.

Online Daily Fantasy MLB – A Home Run With The Rockies!

Home to the Colorado Rockies, the state’s Major League Baseball fans can be guaranteed to be including star players like pitcher Kyle Freeland or Chris Iannetta in their fantasy drafts. In MLB Fantasy, players can build a team of 10 players and score points based on the real-life performance of those players. Scores can be earned in different ways, with 5 points for stealing bases, 10 points given for a home run, etc.

Online Daily Fantasy NBA – Nuggets of Gold

Colorado’s Denver Nuggets may not have won any National Basketball Association Championships, but that hasn’t stopped the winning a horde of loyal fans. The NBA Fantasy League is sure to lure many of those in, with contestants being asked to create a lineup of 8 players. Scoring is based on real-life gameplay statistics e.g. 1 point for every point scored, 2 points for a block.

Online Daily Fantasy NFL – A Wild Game for Broncos Fans

There’s no denying that the 3-time Super Bowl winning champions the Denver Broncos are an institution in Colorado. In the popular NFL Fantasy League, contestants can build a team of 9 of NFL stars – including Broncos stars, of course – and watch them go head-to-head against other contestants’ teams. Points are scored similarly to other leagues and cash prizes are won at the end of every week.

College Fantasy Sport –The Tiger’s Roar

Although betting on college fantasy sports is illegal in Colorado, there’s a lot to be said for the Colorado College Tigers team. As a stepping stone for many professional league players, the Tigers continue to earn the respect of Colorado’s sports fans every year. The most popular and successful of these teams is the Tigers Hockey Team, whose alumni include 30 players currently playing in the NHL!

While they haven’t won a championship for over 50 years, they have 20 tournament appearances to their name since their founding. Regardless, if Colorado college sports fans didn’t want to use Tigers players in their teams if college betting was legal, they wouldn’t have to – any player from any team in the same league could be recruited in their fantasy lineup!

Timeline of Daily Fantasy Sports Legislation

Colorado has long adopted a progressive approach to gambling, so it is of no surprise that DFS was quickly made legal. A bill was first passed in Colorado’s government in May of 2016, and in less than a month it was signed into law by Governor John Hickenlooper. This made it the 5th state to regulate DFS in the United States.

Below is a table of important years in Colorado’s gambling history. For more information on gambling in the state, visit our dedicated Colorado gambling page .

Legal Daily Fantasy Betting Age in Colorado

The gambling age laws in Colorado stipulate that players must be over 18 years old to play DFS, the lottery and bingo, and over 21 years old to gamble at casinos. If a player is caught gambling underage, it is considered a Class 2 misdemeanor and is punishable with between 3-12 months imprisonment and/or a fine of $250 – $1,000.

• DFS Betting Age
  Players must be over 18 years old to legally gamble in Colorado.
• Alcohol Age
  The legal drinking age in Colorado is 21 years old.
• Weed Age
  Recreational cannabis smoking is restricted to those over 21 years of age in Colorado.

Is Daily Fantasy Betting Legal Outside of the State?

Daily Fantasy League betting is now legal in most states in the USA, with only nine states still yet to legalize it. This is quite a staggering fact when considering that as of the writing of this post in 2019, nearly 35 states followed Colorado’s actions in 2016. Those that haven’t and continue to remain strict on DFS laws include Montana, Hawaii, and Arizona. While there is hope for some of these states to move toward legalization in the following years, some of them show little to no sign of changing their attitudes toward gambling any time soon. To the contrary, Tennessee daily fantasy betting is deemed legal according to the state law.

The Best Fantasy Sports App in California

To make things easier, many Fantasy Sports operators have created dedicated DFS apps to ensure that you can bet while on the go. This makes drafting and checking scores more convenient and is our preferred way to play. Based on our experience, we recommend the Draft Kings app the most for DFS betting.

Taxes on Daily Fantasy Winnings: Legal Overview

All winnings from gambling activities, including from DFS, are subject tofederal taxes in Colorado. Winnings are taxable at a rate of 25% for federal taxes, and at a state level gambling winnings are to be classed as income and are taxed accordingly to residents’ tax classes. For more info, visit the website of the IRS or the Colorado Department of Revenue.

Upcoming Regulation Changes to Be Aware Of

Now that Daily Fantasy Sports are legalized in Colorado, there has been little to no word of amending current legislation. However, with gambling on college games still illegal, there is still room for laws to change. This will surely depend on if other states who have allowed DFS betting on college sports can prove that the activities were of no detriment to the integrity of the games and the wellbeing of the players.

If this can be done, we see little reason why Colorado – whose history not just with gaming laws but recreational drug laws prove an attitude of evidence-based decision making – would refrain from allowing all sports leagues to be bet on in DFS.

Daily Fantasy Guides for Nearby States

• Wyoming
• New Mexico
• Kansas
• Utah