Test Your Luck at One of These Colorado Casinos

People come to Colorado to enjoy the scenery and the mountains. There’s hiking, biking, whitewater rafting, and, of course, skiing.

Some come for a chance to get lucky. Not that kind of lucky. I’m talking about roulette, poker, and slots. Colorado is home to almost 40 casinos, many of which are nestled into mountain towns not far from Denver and Colorado Springs.

In that area, you’ll find Central City, Blackhawk, and Cripple Creek. Each offers gaming options that you might find in Vegas, but instead of skyscrapers, the backdrop is the beautiful Colorado mountains.

The Z Casino in Blackhawk has some scary good drawings and a mystery cash box event during the month of October.

On Main Street in Cripple Creek, the Midnight Rose Hotel & Casino, a Cripple Creek favorite, features a beautiful Victorian theme and they are open 24/7.

The Famous Bonanza Casino is in Central City. One thing I miss when playing slots is the sound of winning when you use real coins. This casino has over 150 coin-operated slot machines, and, yes, you can actually play a 25-cent machine with real quarters.

Near the Four Corners area, you’ll find Ignacio, located within the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. It’s the capital of the Southern Ute Indian tribe. It’s also home to the Sky Ute Casino. They are holding a special Hocus Pocus hot seat drawing event on Halloween. I wonder if they encourage you to wear a Halloween costume at the event.

There’s also the Ute Mountain Casino Hotel, located in Towoac. It opened 30 years ago, as the region’s first gaming property. They are home to the Legendary Jackpot -- guaranteed must-hit progressive jackpots. When these jackpots do hit, the luck is shared, and everyone playing with the Mountain Rewards Card wins $10 in free play too. I don’t think all casinos share the luck when someone wins, but I do think it’s a great concept.

I haven’t been to Las Vegas in several years but think maybe I could just take a long weekend to visit one of Colorado’s casinos instead.