Elite Sportsbook Is Closed
Day to day, if you're searching for "Elite Sportsbook" in 2026 hoping to place bets, I've got bad news: they shut down in June 2023.
Elite Sportsbook closed their Colorado operations on June 30, 2023, and exited Iowa on July 5, 2023. The company is gone.
What Elite Sportsbook Was
Elite Sportsbook was a regulated online and retail sports betting operator in two states:
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Iowa Launch (August 2019)
- Launched August 15, 2019 at Rhythm City Casino
- Mobile online sportsbook opened later that month
- Partnership with Grand Falls Casino in Sioux Falls
- Three retail locations in Iowa
Colorado Launch (2020)
- Entered Colorado market in 2020
- Online and retail betting available
- One retail location in Colorado
In practice, Operator: Elite Casino Resorts LLC
Why Elite Sportsbook Shut Down
The reason is simple: they couldn't compete.
DraftKings and FanDuel dominated the sports betting market in both Iowa and Colorado. Elite Sportsbook failed to gain significant market share and couldn't justify continuing operations.
Honestly, Timeline of the End:
- Early June 2023: Elite announced shutdown in Colorado
- June 19, 2023: Last day for new bets in Colorado (any bets after this were voided)
- June 30, 2023: Colorado operations officially closed
- July 1, 2023: Announced Iowa exit
- July 5, 2023: Iowa operations closed, Betfred took over
What Happened to Iowa Customers
Betfred assumed Elite's Iowa operations on July 5, 2023. If you had an Elite Sportsbook account in Iowa, it transitioned to Betfred.
What Happened to Colorado Customers
Elite just... left. They announced the closure with minimal notice and voided any bets placed after June 19, 2023.
Colorado saw three other sportsbook closures around the same time:
- Bally Bet
- Maverick Sportsbook
- Sky Ute Sportsbook
The smaller operators couldn't survive against the major brands.
What Elite Sportsbook Was Like
Before closing, Elite Sportsbook had serious issues:
The Problems:
- Lacked polish compared to experienced providers
- Limited sports betting options
- Poor website design
- Weak in-play betting interface
- Needed more betting markets
Reviews consistently mentioned that Elite "desperately needed improvements" to live up to its name. They never made those improvements.
Where Elite Sportsbook Customers Went
After Elite closed:
Iowa:
- Betfred took over Elite's operations
- DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars still available
Colorado:
- DraftKings Sportsbook Colorado
- FanDuel Sportsbook Colorado
- BetMGM, Caesars, ESPN BET, and others
The Bottom Line
Elite Sportsbook no longer exists. Here's the thing: well, it's not exactly they launched in Iowa in 2019, expanded to Colorado in 2020, and shut down everything in June-July 2023. The company couldn't compete with industry giants like DraftKings and FanDuel. Well, it's not exactly their platform lacked the polish, betting options, and user experience needed to retain customers in competitive markets.
Real talk, If you're in Iowa or Colorado looking for sports betting:
- Iowa: DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars, Betfred
- Colorado: DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, ESPN BET
Elite Sportsbook is a reminder that just because a sportsbook is licensed and regulated doesn't mean it's competitive. The legal US sports betting market is brutal for small operators.
PLEASE DO NOT GAMBLE WITH MONEY THAT YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE. Gambling is not a money-making method and you will lose in the long run.