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 several years. Gaming proceeds have remained quite healthy, and the town has made strides in capturing more of the Colorado gambling market share. 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 still 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 2025 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
City Projects
And on the civic and political front, the city is booming. Consultants are putting the finishing touches on the town’s first new comprehensive master plan project since 2009. The latest $300,000 roadmap for the next decade also is equipped with a detailed economic development and tourism plan, calling for ways to revitalize the downtown and continue to foster its pursuit as a destination area.
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 and downtown revitalization. A new board has been selected, along with a Main Street coordinator. Also, the town is 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 and new laws that clash with Cripple Creek’s historic roots. The first significant home rule vote is slated for this November. Voters will decide if they want to form a home rule charter commission. Already, eight candidates are vying for spots on this commission.
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. Recently, the Aspen Mine Center and Community of Caring officially broke ground on the first phase of the community’s new $5 million-plus childcare center, “A Place For Kids,” expected to open in late 2026.
This popular project will play a major role in tackling probably the biggest need in the community: childcare services, which have been non-existent in southern Teller. The initial groundbreaking for this project featured a record crowd of several hundred attendees.
The future of the town appears quite positive, as the town prepares for the 34th anniversary of limited stakes gaming.
Nope, the town does not abound with 30-plus casinos, similar to the initial gaming environment in its first year of legal betting, but it offers a much more stable hand. No casino closures have occurred in some time.
