Rick Langenberg
Nestled in the shadow of Pikes Peak is the small and remarkable town of Cripple Creek.
During the gold rush of the late 1800s, Cripple Creek became one of the biggest economic hubs in the West, as gold seekers and miners flooded the area. Many of these historic turn- of-the century buildings, the majority of which were constructed following the fires of 1896, still remain.
Local leaders and residents opted for a second gold rush of sorts by trying to revitalize the town and its deteriorating buildings through limited stakes gaming, which began on Oct. 1, 1991. This followed a state-wide campaign and a favorable vote by Colorado voters.
Another pro-gaming vote occurred in late 2008 that paved the way for 24-hour gambling, $100 single-bet wagers and new games such as roulette and craps.
And in the summer of 2015, town leaders upped the ante again by agreeing to establish an official entertainment district, which set the stage for common consumption areas that permit 24/7 cocktail service for gaming and restaurant customers. This is part of an effort to draw more patrons in town and provide a more festive environment.
This pro-gambling trend continued even further as state voters in Nov. 2019 decided they wanted to allow sports betting on professional games inside licensed gaming establishments in Cripple Creek, Black Hawk and Central City, or through the gaming establishments’ related apps. A similar local vote also was approved on the same issue.
Sports betting, which has been in effect for two-plus years, provides more excitement, especially during high showdown sports games, such as the Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup ((Go Avs) and the World Series. Most offer this through third-party sportsbooks.
Sports betting is now allowed in individual states, at their direction, courtesy of a Supreme Court ruling that did away with the prohibition that only permitted this activity in Las Vegas and Nevada. Sports betting, although not a huge winner for the city, offers another mini-jackpot for casinos, especially with a different kind of betting action.
That’s important, as the city’s gaming industry is still much leaner than its earlier heyday 10 to 12 years ago. The coronavirus epidemic, which hit in March 2020, struck the city and the industry hard, forcing gaming establishments to shut down for three months. The city of Cripple Creek suffered a reduction of $2.3 million in revenue, and was forced to no longer sponsor many popular special events.
Casinos were allowed to reopen in mid-June 2020, but they faced many COVID-19 restrictions, capacity limits and table games were not permitted. Plus, they faced huge reopening costs, with mandatory mask rules and COVID screenings of all patrons. In essence, the casinos operated in 2020 and in early 2021 with one hand behind their back.
But now, it’s back to business as usual and gaming is experiencing a bonanza year in 2022. Their overall betting volume and adjusted gross proceeds (essentially what casinos win) are recording impressive increases.
Still, the gaming industry offers fewer betting devices since its heyday as casinos definitely reduced their betting inventory following the pandemic.
However, the town is showcasing new patron attraction: no-limit wagering on individual bets and more games.
This development, approved by the voters of Colorado and in Cripple Creek, officially began in May of 2021 and has upped the ante for card and table games. This completely eliminates the $100 single-bet wager limits and adds new games. This bid has set the stage for more high rollers of a new demographic, who may prefer to spend a few days in Cripple Creek instead of flying off to national gambling destinations like Las Vegas. This plan was heavily supported by local leaders and casino operators in all three towns, and got the okay of Colorado voters in an earlier election.
Proponents of no-limit gaming say this could accelerate plans to make Cripple Creek into more of a destination area.
Casinos can still set their own betting limits on games, but there are no state or local restrictions. This development has fueled the drive for more revenue and is expected to assist the town in its effort to become more of a destination area.
This trend is further accelerated by plans for more than $100 million worth of hotel expansion developments, aimed at giving Cripple Creek more amenities and promoting more several-day vacations in the area. Three major casino/hotel bids are in the works or in the planning stages.
The Wildwood casino opened its new $14 million, 101-room new hotel last summer and the reception for this lodging venture has been outstanding. The Bronco Billy’s mega expansion is also in full swing, with plans for a mega parking garage and a 300-plus-room hotel addition, with a spree of amenities. This multi-story project, which now commands mainstage attention for visitor, is expected to open by the mid-summer 2023.
In addition, a proposed boutique hotel bid by Triple Crown Casinos, which will be located in the back of the Brass Ass area, has gotten the green light by city leaders. This project calls for a general store and a number of non-gaming amenities. It is expected to break ground this year.
Expansion efforts is moving ahead on the non-gaming front, next to the new Gold Camp Café, with plans for a mercantile, with a bakery, take-out eatery and retail. In addition, the new District Saloon is slated to open later this year. Reports abound about other future projects.
This is non-gaming effort, which hit first base last year with the reopening of The Creek restaurant, is much more than what the town has experienced in recent years.
Plus, the town has experienced a growing interest in affordable housing efforts, courtesy of new development incentives aimed at make these projects more appealing for developers. It is estimated this incentive program has paved the way for nearly 40 new housing units, a dramatic increase from previous years.
Several casinos have taken the lead edge in okaying new housing projects for their workers. A big employee shortage is the main hurdle facing the gaming community.
A housing study done in 2019, identified the lack of new affordable housing units as a major issue of concern, lingering on a crisis scenario.
In addition, the city has opted to play out its recreation hand further, efforts capped by the earlier legalization of ATV (all-terrain vehicles) use on all city streets, 24 hours a day. The town also sports an elaborate adventure park, complete with an 18-hole disc golf course, a dog park, hiking trails, an expanded BMX facility, sledding areas and much more. And in 2019, plans were finalized for the Cripple Creek/Victor spurt to the 100-mile Ring the Peak trail looping hikers and outdoor buffs around America’s favorite mountain and combining links to a slew of communities in the region.
This is part of an overall push to become more of a well-rounded community. As part of their new marketing approach, the city wants to promote more adventure and recreation activities and have smaller events done by more nonprofit organizations,
As the town celebrates the 30th anniversary of simmer gambling, the gaming community faces renewed challenges. But overall, the town is rebounding well, and remains one of the safest hubs in the region.
The Cripple Creek casinos made painstaking efforts to ensure the safety of their patrons and implemented many top-of-the line COVID regulations, following the outbreak of the pandemic. By comparison, few COVID-19 outbreaks occurred in the Cripple Creek/Victor/southern Teller area.
And needless to say, Cripple Creek is well-versed in confronting economic hurdles throughout its lively history. No real dark political clouds linger on the immediate horizon, according to city officials.
Nope, the downtown area is not filled with 30-plus casinos, similar to the first summer of gaming, but the town is operating a steadier development hand. No casinos closures occurred following the COVID-19 attack.
Preserving Historic Roots
Historic preservation is also a big player in Cripple Creek.
During their stint with Lady Luck, Cripple Creek has strived to preserve the mining heritage of the area and the old Victorian-era flavor of the town. Tens of millions of dollars have been invested into the renovation of deteriorating, historic structures.
Non-gaming shops are still thriving, despite the doomsday analysists of certain critics. So, even though state-of-the-art gaming devices dominate the interior of many of these buildings in the downtown core, the ambiance of this quaint turn-of-the-century town prevails. The casinos in Cripple Creek offer daily, weekly and seasonal promotions. These change often, so check with regular updates in The Mountain Jackpot (TMJ) or check the websites of the local casinos.
Plus, Cripple Creek sports some great historic attractions and museums (see related story). The town will roll out the welcome mat for the 30th summer season. Due to frequent changes on the Creek gaming front, we will provide continual updates. The following is a description of some of the prime casino properties in Cripple Creek. More casino updates will be provided throughout the 2021 season.
