Ameristar Black Hawk is a full-service casino resort at 111 Richman Street in Black Hawk, Colorado, with slots, table games, live poker, a sportsbook, and a hotel with a rooftop pool and spa. Its strongest reason to visit is a complete casino getaway under one roof. The main limitation is the overnight bill, including a $25 nightly resort fee. I see it as a stronger choice for poker players and couples planning a casino stay than for someone making a quick, budget-minded gambling stop.
Ameristar Black Hawk at a glance
These advertised offerings and published policies come from published property information collected October 11, 2026. They are not a live count of staffed tables or available rooms.
| Feature | What to know |
|---|---|
| Address | 111 Richman Street, Black Hawk, CO 80422 |
| Property type | Casino resort with a hotel and spa |
| Minimum gambling age | 21; the room renter must also be at least 21 |
| Slots and video machines | Roughly 940-plus advertised; approximately |
| Table games | 40 advertised, with high-limit table gaming |
| Poker room | 11 tables; advertised as operating around the clock |
| Sportsbook | Retail betting, 13 kiosks, a video wall, and HDTVs |
| Hotel | 536 rooms and suites listed by Visit Black Hawk |
| Resort fee | $25 per night, including tax |
| Check-in / checkout | 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. / 11 a.m.; arrange later arrival in advance |
| Pool hours | 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.; ages 21 and older only after 7 p.m. |
| EV charging | Complimentary ChargePoint charging on garage Level 4, subject to availability |
| Rewards program | PENN Play |
| General phone | 720-946-4000 |
Property overview: a casino stay, not just a casino stop
Ameristar combines substantial gaming with hotel, dining, and relaxation options that make an overnight trip practical. A casino with a restaurant can cover an afternoon; a hotel, pool, spa, and several places to eat can carry a weekend.
That flexibility is useful for groups with different interests. A poker player can concentrate on the room, a slots player has a broad machine selection, and someone who would rather swim has an alternative to watching everyone else gamble.
I would not choose it simply because it offers more amenities. Those matter only if you will use them. For a short gambling visit, game availability, betting limits, and convenient access deserve more weight than the hotel upstairs.
Casino floor, slots, and table games
Ameristar advertises roughly 940-plus machines, 40 table games, and a separate poker room. Its visit page describes 940 slots and video machines, while its gaming material says more than 940 slot machines. Treat those figures as an indication of scale, not an exact inventory or a promise that every table will be staffed.
Slots and video poker
Advertised machine denominations range from 1¢ to $100, with slots and video poker both listed. That covers different budgets, but denomination alone is a poor guide to session cost.
A penny machine can ask for a decidedly non-penny wager once paylines, credits, and features enter the picture. Check the total bet on the screen before pressing the button, especially when changing machines.
For video poker, inspect the pay table. Machines with the same game name can offer different payouts. The published information does not identify specific full-pay games, so I would not choose Ameristar on a presumed video poker advantage.
A jackpot story or a losing afternoon does not establish whether machines are loose, tight, or due. Those are gambling stories, not payout measurements.
Table games
Named offerings include blackjack, roulette, craps, Head’s Up Hold’em, and Flop Poker. Dedicated high-limit table gaming is also advertised.
No dependable current minimum-bet range is supplied. Check posted limits, and call ahead if a particular game or budget determines whether the trip is worthwhile.
At blackjack, I would look at the payout and rules before the decor. At craps, ask about odds. At roulette, check the wheel layout. A comfortable chair is welcome, but it does not improve the wager.
Poker room: games, buy-ins, and playing costs
Ameristar’s official poker page advertises an 11-table room operating around the clock, seven days a week. That describes capacity and operating coverage, not a guarantee that your preferred stakes will be running.
| Published no-limit Texas hold’em stakes | Published buy-in |
|---|---|
| $1/$3 | $100 to $500 |
| $2/$5 | $200 to $1,500 |
| $5/$10 | $500 minimum; uncapped maximum |
The buy-in structure matters as much as the blinds. Moving up changes both the entry cost and potential depth of the game. Ask what is running rather than assuming the published list describes tonight’s action.
Limit and spread-limit games are available upon request. Before a poker-focused drive, check Bravo Poker Live or call 720-946-4108 for current games, waitlists, and any tournament schedule.
Confirm the charge structure
Under its pot-limit and limit-games listing, the page publishes a $7 half-hour time charge with the first half-hour free. Confirm whether that schedule applies to your game; do not automatically assign it to every no-limit table.
The calculations put an illustrative continuous three-hour session under that schedule at $35 in time charges per player, compared with $63 for five hours. These are planning examples, not records of games played. They exclude gambling wins or losses and any other applicable charges.
I like keeping that cost separate from the chips you bring. It makes the price of playing easier to see, particularly when evaluating a promotion.
The room advertises a poker hotel rate after seven hours of live play in one day, available Sunday through Thursday, excluding holidays. Players remain responsible for the resort fee. Ask about the room price and availability before treating it as a lodging bargain.
September high-hand promotions appear in the supplied page without a stated year, so they are not presented as current offers. Posted room information takes precedence over website information.
Sportsbook
The retail sportsbook advertises a 24-foot video wall, 29 HDTVs, and 13 betting kiosks. It is relevant to visitors who want to watch sports as well as wager, although counter hours and seating availability need a direct check.
The sportsbook house rules name Ameristar Blackhawk as the retail operator. Keep retail tickets separate from mobile sportsbook accounts, promotions, and balances.
My most useful ticket advice is also the least glamorous: read it before leaving the window. Check the team, market, stake, and odds, then keep the ticket safe.
Settlement rules matter, too. The supplied rules generally include overtime for American football unless otherwise stated, but Double Result wagers use halftime and the end of the fourth quarter without overtime. Similar-looking markets do not necessarily settle the same way.
Hotel rooms and booking costs
Visit Black Hawk’s lodging directory lists 536 Ameristar rooms and suites, compared with 516 at Monarch. The supplied comparison puts Ameristar 20 rooms ahead in published inventory. That establishes scale, not which hotel has better rooms, service, or value.
Ameristar advertises deluxe king and queen rooms, Deluxe Spa suites, and Mountain Pine suites. Suite descriptions include additional living space and features such as whirlpool baths and fireplaces. Confirm the features of your booked category; room requests are not guaranteed.
For me, the strongest hotel argument is an easy break between activities. Staying upstairs removes the need to drive home after late poker or dinner and drinks. Whether that convenience justifies the price depends on the final booking total.
Resort fees, deposits, and booking-channel charges
The published hotel policies distinguish room taxes, nightly fees, booking-channel charges, refundable deposits, and card holds. Lumping them together makes comparison shopping harder.
Gamboool original analysis
We assembled the comparison below from published information and our calculations. These are selected examples, rather than measured gambling sessions or a representative survey.
| Detail | Published information |
|---|---|
| Hotel: Room taxes versus resort fee | Room taxes are published at 18.9% per room per night; the separate $25 nightly resort or amenity fee already includes tax. |
| Hotel: Mandatory nightly fee | The resort or amenity fee is charged per night, unlike the room deposit charged per stay. |
| Hotel: Booking-channel fee comparison | Phone and front-desk bookings incur a $10 service fee unless the guest is an Owners Club or Elite member; direct online reservations avoid this fee. |
| Hotel: Standard versus complimentary booking guarantees | Standard bookings require one night’s room rate plus tax at booking; PENN Play complimentary bookings require $50 plus tax. |
| Hotel: Standard cancellation deadline and penalty | Standard reservations must be cancelled at least 48 hours before 4 p.m. on arrival day to avoid a cancellation fee of one night’s room rate plus tax. |
| Hotel: Midweek versus weekend complimentary cancellation penalties | Late cancellation of a complimentary reservation costs $50 plus tax for Sunday through Thursday, versus $70 plus tax for Friday and Saturday. |
| Hotel: Arrival versus departure times | Published check-in is 4–9 p.m.; arrivals after 9 p.m. should contact the hotel in advance. Check-out is 11 a.m. |
| Hotel: Late-arrival no-show policy | Failing to check in by 9 p.m. without confirming a late arrival can trigger a no-show fee equal to one night’s room rate plus tax. |
| Hotel: Refundable deposit versus stay expense | The hotel requires a refundable $50 check-in deposit; it should be budgeted separately from nonrefundable nightly fees. |
| Hotel: Accepted check-in payment and identity requirements | A credit or debit card in the reservation guest’s name and matching government-issued identification are required; personal checks and prepaid cards are not accepted for check-in. |
| Hotel: Room deposit versus additional card hold | The published deposit is not necessarily the entire amount temporarily unavailable on a card: the hotel also places a hold for anticipated charges and estimated incidentals, with release timing dependent on the issuer. |
| Dog-friendly rooms: Dog limit and refundable deposit | Dog-friendly stays allow at most one dog per room and require a refundable $100 dog deposit. |
| Pool, spa, and fitness center: Under-18 supervision versus evening pool age restriction | Guests under 18 need an accompanying adult in the spa, fitness center, or pool area; after 7 p.m., the pool area excludes everyone under 21. |
| Amenities: EV charging price and location | ChargePoint stations are published as complimentary on Level 4 of the garage; the page directs guests to check availability. |
| Poker room: No-limit stakes and buy-in comparison | Published buy-ins are $100–$500 at $1/$3, $200–$1,500 at $2/$5, and $500 to uncapped at $5/$10. |
| Poker room: Time-rake schedule | The page lists a $7 half-hour time charge with the first half-hour free under its pot-limit and limit-games section; confirm the charge structure for the particular game before playing. |
| Poker room: Hourly rewards and eligibility | Advantage-tier members or higher receive $0.50 PENN Cash per live-play hour, described as $1 in food comps; the page separately lists 20 tier points per live-play hour. |
| Poker room: Poker hotel-rate qualification and exclusions | Seven hours of live play in one day qualifies for a poker hotel rate, available only Sunday through Thursday outside holidays; the player remains responsible for the resort fee. |
| Ameristar and Monarch Black Hawk hotels: Published lodging scale comparison | Visit Black Hawk lists 536 guest rooms and suites at Ameristar, versus 516 at Monarch. These inventories are not live room availability. |
| Sportsbook: Ordinary football settlement versus Double Result settlement | American football bets generally include overtime unless otherwise stated; Double Result bets use halftime and the end of the fourth quarter without overtime. |
| Calculation | Result | Takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| Room tax on an illustrative $200 nightly room rate; excludes the separately published tax-inclusive resort fee | $37.80 in room tax per night | At this illustrative room rate, budget $262.80 per night after room tax and the separate $25.00 resort fee, before other charges. |
| Mandatory resort fees for an illustrative two-night stay, separate from room charges, room taxes, and refundable deposits | $50.00 per two-night stay | Add $50.00 to the room price and room taxes for this illustrative two-night stay. The nightly resort fee already includes tax. |
| Booking-service-fee difference between phone or front-desk booking and direct online booking for a guest without an exempt tier | $10.00 per reservation | Book directly online to avoid this reservation fee, unless your rewards tier already makes you exempt. |
| Weekend versus midweek late-cancellation fee difference for PENN Play complimentary reservations, before tax | $20.00 before tax per affected reservation | A missed cancellation deadline costs $20.00 more on a weekend complimentary booking before tax. Cancel at least 48 hours before the stated arrival cutoff. |
| Combined published refundable room and dog deposits for an illustrative stay in a dog-friendly room; excludes other card holds | $150.00 in refundable deposits per stay | Have $150.00 available for the refundable room and dog deposits, separate from the stay cost. Other card holds can tie up additional funds. |
| Published hotel-room inventory difference between Ameristar and Monarch; measures scale, not availability or quality | 20 guest rooms and suites | Ameristar has a slightly larger published room inventory, but that alone does not establish better rooms, lower prices, or availability for your dates. |
| Illustrative three-hour poker time-charge cost where the published time-rake schedule applies; confirm applicability to the selected game | $35.00 in time charges per player | Set aside $35.00 for the illustrative session before gambling wins or losses. Confirm that this time-charge schedule applies to your game. |
| Illustrative five-hour poker time-charge cost for comparison with the three-hour session; confirm applicability to the selected game | $63.00 in time charges per player | Two more hours add $28.00 in time charges under this schedule. Compare the extra playing cost with your session budget. |
Method: Published inputs collected October 11, 2026. Illustrative assumptions are labeled, and full calculation inputs remain in the saved research record. These examples support planning; they do not predict a particular session.
Gamboool’s supplied compilation and calculations highlight these booking distinctions:
- Nightly expense: The $25 resort fee includes tax. An illustrative two-night stay adds $50 in resort fees, separate from the room rate and room taxes.
- Booking channel: Direct online reservations avoid the $10 service fee charged for phone or front-desk bookings. Owners Club and Elite members are exempt.
- Refundable funds: A $50 check-in deposit is required. For an illustrative dog-friendly stay, the published room and dog deposits total $150, excluding other card holds.
- Complimentary-room cancellation: Published late-cancellation penalties are $50 plus tax for Sunday through Thursday and $70 plus tax for Friday and Saturday, a $20 difference before tax.
Room tax is published separately at 18.9%. Use the reservation’s final breakdown rather than treating the already-tax-inclusive resort fee as another room charge to tax again.
A refundable deposit is not an expense, but it affects available funds. The hotel also places a hold for anticipated charges and estimated incidentals; release timing can depend on your card issuer. Understand those holds before using a debit card.
Check-in, identification, and cancellation
- Arrival: Check-in is 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Contact the hotel in advance for later arrival. An unarranged late arrival can be treated as a no-show, with a charge equal to one night’s room rate plus tax.
- Departure: Checkout is 11 a.m.
- Identification and payment: Bring a credit or debit card in the reservation guest’s name and matching government-issued identification. Personal checks and prepaid cards are not accepted for check-in. The room renter must be at least 21.
- Standard cancellation: The published deadline is at least 48 hours before 4 p.m. on arrival day. Missing it carries a penalty of one night’s room rate plus tax.
Read your reservation’s terms before committing, especially when mountain weather could affect travel.
Rooftop pool, Ara Spa, and amenities
The hotel amenities page describes a rooftop pool with a movable glass wall for winter enclosure, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, and a heated open-air patio.
Published pool hours are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. The pool area is restricted to guests aged 21 and older from 7 p.m. onward. Guests under 18 need an accompanying adult in the pool, spa, and fitness areas.
The evening restriction cuts both ways: it may appeal to adults but limits a family’s pool plans. It is an access policy, not evidence of how crowded or peaceful the pool gets.
Ara Spa advertises massages, facials, and separate men’s and women’s hot tubs, saunas, and steam rooms. Hotel guests also have a 24-hour fitness center and in-room dining. Do not assume spa treatments are included in the resort fee; ask about appointments and prices.
Restaurants, bars, and entertainment
The local tourism dining directory lists several Ameristar options. The practical advantage is choice without leaving the property, but listings do not guarantee service on your dates.
- Timberline Grill: The steakhouse choice for an occasion dinner. I would budget for a higher-priced meal and check reservations.
- Fireside Kitchen: A casual sit-down option described around comfort foods and skillets.
- JINYA Ramen Bar: An alternative to steakhouse or buffet dining.
- Centennial Buffet: Listed with weekend seafood dinners and Sunday brunch. Confirm the schedule and price rather than expecting daily buffet service.
- Starbucks: Coffee and light bites.
- Richman Beer Garden: Advertises local beers, food trucks, and live music. Check seasonal availability and the event schedule.
For a late meal, Fireside Kitchen publishes a daily late-night menu from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. That gives night owls a specific option to check instead of assuming every restaurant stays open with the casino.
Bar 8042 advertises alcoholic beverage service 24 hours a day. That is a beverage-service schedule, not a promise of round-the-clock food or entertainment.
One useful seafood-budget detail: the Centennial Market Buffet page says dinner includes one pound of crab legs. Do not read the seafood-buffet description as unlimited crab legs; confirm the allowance and current price.
No firsthand meal or independent restaurant-review evidence is supplied here. These are dining roles and published offerings, not verdicts on food quality or service.
Parking, directions, and practical visit information
Ameristar is at 111 Richman Street, Black Hawk, CO 80422. Its official visitor page provides driving directions from Denver, Boulder, and Denver International Airport. The general phone number is 720-946-4000.
For Denver-area travelers, the mountain-road portion deserves as much attention as the highway. Check conditions when snow is forecast, allow extra time, and do not leave the return drive to someone who has been drinking.
Parking, EV charging, and buses
The property has a garage with complimentary ChargePoint EV charging on Level 4. Charger availability and power, garage parking charges, valet arrangements, and oversized-vehicle access are not established in the published information. Free charging does not itself establish free parking.
Visit Black Hawk’s parking page says free parking is available near all of the city’s casinos and lists Ameristar among its parking locations. It does not spell out Ameristar’s garage or valet terms.
Ace Express and Ramblin Express are listed as bus partners with Ameristar drop-offs from Denver-area pickup locations. Check fares, pickup points, and return schedules, especially if poker may keep you late.
Accessibility, smoking, and children
Ameristar’s accessibility policy directs accommodation requests to 720-946-4000, extension 0, with the date and nature of the accommodation needed. Confirm specific room features, parking arrangements, and accessible routes before traveling.
Smoking detected in a hotel room carries a published $250 cleaning fee. Casino-floor smoking arrangements are not established here.
Hotel and pool access rules are separate from gaming access. If traveling with children, ask about permitted routes through the building.
PENN Play rewards
The official Ameristar Black Hawk website promotes PENN Play. Enroll before playing if you want eligible activity recorded, and ask how existing benefits apply.
The poker page lists hourly rewards for qualifying members and a poker hotel-rate benefit. Confirm eligibility and redemption terms rather than assuming every player receives the same benefits.
I would treat rewards as a discount on a trip you already intend to take, not a reason to stretch your gambling budget. A room offer stops being a bargain when chasing it costs more than booking outright.
Strengths and limitations
What looks most useful
- Complete overnight setup: Hotel rooms, dining, a pool, and spa facilities support time away from gambling.
- Dedicated poker: The advertised 11-table, around-the-clock room gives poker players a specific reason to visit.
- Broad gambling mix: Machines, live tables, poker, and retail sports betting suit different preferences.
- Travel options: Garage EV charging and advertised bus drop-offs help with planning.
Trade-offs to weigh
- Lodging costs: The resort fee is an expense; deposits and card holds affect available funds separately.
- Late-arrival planning: The 9 p.m. check-in cutoff makes advance contact important.
- Variable availability: Published games, restaurants, and promotions are not guarantees for your visit.
- Family pool restrictions: The pool becomes adults-only at 7 p.m.
- Mountain travel: Weather can complicate the trip.
Guest-review limitation: No customer reviews or firsthand reports were supplied. This guide therefore does not claim recurring praise, complaints, or agreement about cleanliness, room condition, noise, food, or service. These strengths and drawbacks are editorial interpretations of published offerings and policies, not a guest-review consensus.
Who Ameristar Black Hawk is best for
Best for: Poker players who check current action, couples planning an overnight casino getaway, and groups that will use dining and the pool alongside gambling.
Less compelling for: Visitors wanting only a short slots session, travelers shopping strictly on the lowest total room price, and anyone whose trip depends on an unchecked game or promotion.
My decision rule is simple: pay attention to the features you will actually use. Ameristar’s fuller offering is more persuasive for a casino stay than a casino stop.
Frequently asked questions
Does Ameristar Black Hawk have a poker room?
Yes. It advertises an 11-table room operating around the clock. Call 720-946-4108 or check Bravo Poker Live for current games and waitlists.
Does Ameristar Black Hawk have a sportsbook?
Yes. Retail sports betting, 13 kiosks, a video wall, and HDTVs are advertised. Confirm counter hours and seating availability.
How much is the resort fee?
The supplied hotel policy lists $25 per night, including tax. It is separate from the room rate, room taxes, refundable deposit, and any applicable reservation service fee.
Can children use the rooftop pool?
The published policy requires adult accompaniment for guests under 18. After 7 p.m., everyone in the pool area must be at least 21.
Is EV charging available?
Yes. Complimentary ChargePoint charging is advertised on Level 4 of the garage. Check availability and charging specifications before traveling.
What if I arrive after 9 p.m.?
Contact the hotel in advance to confirm late arrival. Without that arrangement, the published policy allows the reservation to be treated as a no-show.
Is Ameristar Black Hawk worth staying at?
It is more appealing when you will use on-site dining, the pool, and easy breaks in your room. If those amenities are not important to you, compare final booking totals with other Black Hawk hotels.
Sources and research note
Source-record date: October 11, 2026. Sources are linked once at their relevant use above. This guide uses supplied official property pages, sportsbook rules, and local tourism listings. Counts describe advertised inventory, not live availability.
Editorial note: No personal visit, hotel stay, meal, gambling session, or app test is claimed. Gamboool’s contribution is an assembled booking-cost comparison, supplied illustrative poker-charge calculations, a lodging-scale comparison, and practical interpretation. This is a compilation and analysis, not a representative survey or exclusive underlying dataset.
Visit Black Hawk describes itself as a casino-property marketing partnership on its about page. Its listings are useful, but they are not independent customer-review evidence. The garbled supplied annual-report extraction was not used for ownership or inventory claims. Confirm changing fees, schedules, games, and booking terms directly before traveling.
Sources
- ameristarblackhawk.com 1
- ameristarblackhawk.com 2
- ameristarblackhawk.com 3
- visitblackhawk.org
- ameristarblackhawk.com 5
- local tourism dining directory
- Fireside Kitchen
- Bar 8042
- Centennial Market Buffet page
- official visitor page
- Visit Black Hawk’s parking page
- accessibility policy
- official Ameristar Black Hawk website
- about page