Rick Langenberg
Nestled in the shadow of Pikes Peak is the historic and remarkable old 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.
History of Limited Stakes Gaming
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 was 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 several years, provides more excitement, especially during high showdown sports games. Most casinos offer this added perk through third-party sportsbooks.
The coronavirus epidemic, which hit in March 2020, struck the city and the industry hard, forcing gaming establishments to shut down for three months.
Casinos were allowed to reopen in mid-June 2020, but they faced many COVID-19 restrictions, capacity limits and table games were not permitted.
But it’s now back to business as usual and the local gaming industry has rebounded well for the last two years. Gaming proceeds have remained quite healthy. Still, the local gaming industry offers considerably fewer betting devices since its heyday as casinos definitely reduced their betting inventory following the pandemic.
However, the town is reaping the benefits of a new patron attraction: no-limit wagering on individual bets and more games. This actually played a key role in sparking more investor interest in Cripple Creek.
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.
Destination Mecca
Proponents of no-limit gaming say this has accelerated plans to make Cripple Creek into more of a destination area.
This trend is further accelerated by more than $300 million worth of hotel expansion developments, aimed at giving Cripple Creek more amenities and promoting more several-day vacations in the area.
The former Wildwood casino (now rebranded as the Golden Nugget), opened its new $14 million, 101-room new hotel in the summer of 2021 and the reception for this lodging venture has been outstanding.
The Bronco Billy’s mega expansion, the Chamonix Casino & Hotel, has hit the lodging jackpot, giving the town an additional 300 rooms and a spree of amazing amenities. This multi-story project, the largest lodging venture in the history of Cripple Creek, has continued to draw stellar reviews since it opened in 2024. The Chamonix was rated by TMJ readers as the gaming hub offering the best and most welcoming atmosphere. The Chamonix has really taken off this year, as it put the finishing touches on many non-gaming aspects of their development, such as its new spa, pool and convention area.
Its steakhouse, 980 Prime, gained top laurels in the recent Best Of contest conducted by TMJ News. The overall Chamonix project has been described as a “game changer” for Cripple Creek. City officials and community leaders see this as propelling the drive for making Cripple Creek into a destination area.
Besides the Billy’s expansion, a proposed boutique hotel bid by Triple Crown Casinos, which will be located in the back of the Brass Ass area, previously received the green light by city leaders. This project calls for a general store and a number of non-gaming amenities.
A massive amount of improvements have occurred too at the former Wildwood casino, as part of new ownership by a company lead by Texas billionaire and restaurant tycoon Tilman Fertitta. The old Wildwood is now part of Fertitta Entertainment’s Golden Nugget casino brand.
In addition, new life has been pumped into two casinos with strong ties to the town’s past, Johnny Nolon’s and Colorado Grande. A new owner/operator, Rocky Mountain Gaming, has taken over the management reins with an intent to modernize the casinos, while maintaining their historic character. Part of this effort calls for appealing to more local customers, with a special push for super-loose betting devices. Some key Rocky Mountain Gaming representatives were part of the management team of the former Wildwood.
Moreover, both casinos were heavily lauded in a recent TMJ Best Of survey.
Expansion efforts are also moving ahead on the non-gaming front with a variety of new business ventures. The Gold Camp Café has been a big hit, along with The Mercantile retail shop. And the opening of the District Kitchen and Saloon in the spring of 2024 has added another major non-gaming bar/eatery to the local lineup. The reaction to the new Saloon has been outstanding.
Cripple Creek also sports the first retail marijuana shop in Teller County, the High Stakes Leafery, located off Hwy. 67, not far from the downtown district. The opening of this shop in early 2024, followed a positive vote by the citizens of Cripple Creek to allow the sale of retail marijuana on a limited basis.
This burgeoning non-gaming effort, which hit first base in 2021, with the reopening of The Creek restaurant, is much more than what the town has experienced in recent years. Small business operators are much more united than in past years
At the same time, Cripple Creek business and civic leaders are making a bid to gain designation as a Main Street city, which could open the door for more grants. Also, the town is even wagering major bets on becoming a home rule city. This could give the town more local control, according to proponents of the effort, so it is not so hamstrung by state regulations. The first potential home rule vote is slated for this November.
Plus, the town is experiencing a growing interest in affordable housing efforts, courtesy of development incentives aimed at making these projects more appealing for developers. Much more activity is expected on the housing and infrastructure arena in the next year. And this summer or early fall, the Aspen Mine Center and Community of Caring hopes to break ground on the first phase of the community’s new daycare center, “A Place For Kids,” expected to open in 2026.
The future of the town appears quite positive, as the town ushers in its 33nd summer of legal gaming.
Nope, the town does not abound with 30-plus casinos, similar to the initial gaming environment in its first summer of legal betting (1992), but it offers a much more stable hand. No casino closures have occurred in some time.
The following is a description of some of the prime cassino properties in Cripple Creek. For more local casino profiles, visit www.mountainjackpot.com.
Rocky Mountain Gaming
Johnny Nolon’s 719-689-2080 www.
Colorado Grande 719-689-3517 www.cogrande.com
Don’t miss these two classic, unique, and historic casinos in Cripple Creek: Johnny Nolon’s Casino and Colorado Grande Casino & Hotel. In the past few months, they have been infused with renewed energy and are reaping the benefits of improvements and upgrades, courtesy of a new changing of the guard.
And with this change has come welcome enhancements, including new slots, and updated interiors, a vastly improved players’ club, and a certification proving that they are, indeed, looser than the entire Cripple Creek market. Along with these necessary upgrades, the new operators have vowed to maintain the historic character of both properties, which have a strong history dating back to the 1890s and were among the first casinos that began during Cripple Creek’s limited stakes gaming era.
The ownership change became official at the end of 2024. Since then, both properties have become the only certified loose casinos in the state of Colorado…a title worn with honor and given to the casinos by Strictly Slots Magazine. Between both properties, they have brand new games and old favorites to play, along with seven classic hotel rooms, and several quality restaurants and bars including a local favorite, Maggie’s Restaurant, at the Colorado Grande.
As noted on their website, “Change can sometimes be worrisome, and we know that not every casino transfer in town has gone smoothly, but we have a secret weapon… experience in Cripple Creek! Our ownership group includes Joseph Canfora, a previous owner of Wildwood Casino, as well as other members of his management team, who helped turn Wildwood Casino into Cripple Creek’s premier gaming destination. In addition, Joe has partnered with David Ross and Michael Gaughan Jr., who bring a wealth of expertise with over 50 years of combined experience in Colorado and Nevada, and other locals’ markets. You’ll also be happy to know that we have invited every member of the Colorado Grande and Johnny Nolon’s staff to stay on and join this exciting new endeavor.
“After evaluating Cripple Creek, we realized one thing – Winning Matters! While other casinos in town have fine dining and luxury hotel rooms, we will continue to offer the thing you want most…cash in your pocket.”
Both casinos have strived to attract more of the locals’ market, with players who want to win while enjoying a more personal and friendly gaming experience.
The new owners have cited a desire to revive the local atmosphere that many gamers enjoyed in past years, but were somewhat overlooked with the attention commanded by other mega projects in town. Canfora noted that their casinos are not splashy gambling halls. “I realized Johnny Nolon’s and Colorado Grande presented the opportunity to maintain the old Cripple Creek casino feel that the locals had grown accustomed to.” Canfora is well-known in the local industry from his time at the former Wildwood Casino. Canfora was a frequent speaker at local council meetings regarding such subjects as the need for affordable housing and providing the town with more visitor options.
David Ross, in a previous article posted on the PlayColorado online gaming website, noted that the two historic casinos have broadened the experience for “visitors who want to play like locals,” and will mesh well with the enhancements done by bigger players, such as Golden Nugget and the Chamonix resort. “Those two operators, at either end of town, will help attract new visitors to Cripple Creek, and we think there is an opportunity for our properties to offer a true locals experience that caters to individuals looking for loose slots and personal service.”
Ross, in a previous interview with TMJ, also stressed that their main goal was to modernize both properties, while respecting their unique history. Johnny Nolon, an 1890s saloon owner, and Maggie, Colorado Grande’s infamous local ghost, are legendary characters that are part of the town’s rich history.
“We are super sensitive of the history of the town and the buildings. We want to be part of the community,” said Ross. He cited the group’s efforts to support Ice Castles, the Ice Festival and various community promotions. Moreover, they unveiled new logos that highlight the history of the sites, and their new players’ club has certainly attracted much attention.
The response to the changes has been overwhelmingly positive, according to the new operators. In fact, in the most recent Best Of contest, sponsored by TMJ and featuring thousands of entries, both casinos garnered a number of top finishes, such as the place where players can win the most money, and the casino with the best bar (Johnny Nolon’s), the best Facebook campaign and best new casino renovation. And not surprisingly, they were touted as gaming properties that featured some of the loosest slots in town.
This latter category is extremely important to Ross, and he has backed up this claim with actual statistics. “It creates value,” said Ross. “It is very important. The customer response has been very good.”
And both casinos offer great promotions. Look for even more exciting changes over summer. Check out their websites and Facebook pages for more details.
Double Eagle Casino
719-689-5000 www.decasino.com
The Double Eagle Hotel and Casino this summer is celebrating close to 30 years of gaming excitement in Cripple Creek.
It actually bustled as the first “Vegas Style Casino” in all of Colorado, according to the Double Eagle website. “The Double Eagle Hotel & Casino was founded to bring the vibe and essence of Las Vegas to an old cowboy town. Originally opened in 1996, we built our ‘mini-Vegas’ casino to create a getaway destination that’s dazzling, exciting, and, most of all, fun. We’re situated right in the middle of Cripple Creek’s Historic District, and we built our casino under the strictest historical preservation standards to help enhance the rich history of Cripple Creek and support our beloved local community in more than one way. We named our casino after the renowned Double Eagle gold coins because we wanted to double the fun, double the benefits, and double the value of other Colorado casinos! At Double Eagle, you’ll find a sprawling casino floor with tons of exhilarating slot machines, on-demand alcoholic beverages, outstanding customer service, and so much more. If you’re planning a trip to the area, you’ll want to book your stay at the best casino in Cripple Creek, CO to enjoy an unforgettable experience.”
The Double Eagle actually sported the first major casino hotel, with a modern facility that boasts more than 150 rooms, which are all smoke-free. All the rooms have been recently remodeled and are neatly furnished with homey items and décor pieces that reflect the unique personality of the Cripple Creek mountain town. In addition, many of the rooms are pet-friendly, a real plus in the gaming community for dog owners. The Double Eagle also features one of the town’s most acclaimed restaurants, Lombard’s, an eatery heavily lauded in TMJ’s annual Best Of contest. And since last winter, the Double Eagle launched a full-fledged coffee house, called Prospector’s Perk, offering coffees, lattes, expresso, hot cocoas, hot cider, a variety of teas and many small food items. It almost resembles a Starbucks-type setup. The Prospector’s Perk is open every day from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. “It has really been popular,” noted Double Eagle Food and Beverage Manager Charles Richardson. He says they are looking at ways to expand their offerings. Currently, the coffee house caters to many casino employees throughout town and also serves many gamblers late at night, who may want a cup of java, latte or an Americana before heading down the hill.
As far as gambling action, the Double Eagle features two floors of gaming, with more than 400 slot games, including traditional slots, video slots, multipliers, wild play machines, progressive machines, multi-line slots, touchscreens, big berthas, reel slots, and many more. It also features weekly promotions, including many specials for veterans and members of the military. Visit their website at decasino.com or their Facebook page for more information on upcoming promotions.
