PointsBet launches online, mobile sportsbook in Colorado

PointsBet launched its mobile app and digital sports betting product Wednesday in Colorado, its fifth US state of operation.

Johnny Aitken, PointsBet USA CEO, said the company is proud to be the only sports betting operation with its permanent U.S. headquarters in Colorado. “Our approach for the market is that we really want to bring the sports betting experience that Coloradans have been seeking,” Aitken said, as reported by The Denver Post. “When you open the app, it’s not going to have promotional language about the New York Yankees. You’re not going to have an ambassador that’s based in Chicago. It’s a custom-made app built for the Colorado market.”

The company will also soon have a retail presence at the Double Eagle Hotel and Casino in Cripple Creek.

PointsBet also operates in New Jersey, Iowa, Indiana and Illinois. The bookmaker has also confirmed it is planning to launch in Michigan during FY21's third quarter. Its home base is in Lower Downtown Denver, where the majority of the company’s 150 employees in the country work. Aitken said there are places for about 200 employees in the LoDo office, and he plans to fill the spots in the next six to 12 months.

Legal sports betting kicked off in Colorado May 1 after the passage in 2019 of a ballot measure that expanded gambling by legalizing betting on professional sports. The state’s 17 casino operators can apply for licenses for physical or online sportsbooks. Fans wagered more than $207 million on all sports in September, up 61%  from August, the Colorado Division of Gaming said. The numbers for October haven’t been compiled yet.

The company has teamed up with Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, the owner of the Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche and the Colorado Mammoth pro lacrosse team. As part of the multiyear deal, PointsBet will have a major presence on the teams’ digital platforms, Altitude broadcasts and in the Ball Arena, formerly the Pepsi Center, where the teams play. 

In September, PointsBet announced a five-year corporate partnership with the University of Colorado Buffaloes. It is also the exclusive betting partner of NBC Sports.