Cripple Creek casino celebrates 24-hour gambling and higher limits

COLORADO - As reported by The Gazette: "With a shower of confetti, champagne toasts and tumbling dice, a new era of gambling began at 12:01 this morning in Cripple Creek.

At Bronco Billy's Casino,
Cripple Creek Casinos Showing Holiday Spirit  Ray Williams couldn't wait - he placed a lone chip on the craps table an hour ahead of time to save his place.

"We usually gamble in Las Vegas and down south," said Williams, of Colorado Springs. "It's kind of nice they have the tables up here now."

Colorado casinos are counting on those tables - with craps and roulette joining blackjack and poker - along with higher, $100 limits and 24-hour gambling to boost their fortunes. Once considered recession-proof, the gaming industry has been hit hard by the economic slowdown in the last year. It was hard to tell whether the players or the casino staff were more excited by the changes.

"The last four weeks (of preparations) has been intense," said Marc Murphy, co-general manager of Bronco Billy's. "I'm nervous, excited and exhausted..."