Colorado City Votes Against Future iGaming Access

To date, no meaningful discussions have occurred regarding the possible legalization of online casino gambling in Colorado. This is kind of surprising, given that online sports betting was legal almost six (6) years ago. To be clear, the first legal online sports bet wasn't made until the start of May 2020. Still, it's unusual that very little mention of iGaming access has occurred among Colorado lawmakers.

Without any seeming motivation to do so, one Colorado town has made clear they would not support any kind of iGaming legislation. That town is Black Hawk, a historic mining town that has a very small population. Regardless of the town's size, they are proud to take a stand against online casino gambling, a stand they have taken by joining the National Association Against iGaming (NAAiG).

What Prompted This Proactive Move?

With nary a mention of online casino gambling legalization by lawmakers, one would have to wonder what prompted town officials to prematurely say no. The municipality's membership said no after a presentation by an Jason Gumerr, an executive with Monarch Casino. It's noteworthy that Monarch is but one of the 15 retail casinos operating in this area.

According to Gumer, allowing online casino gambling within the state's boundaries would be harmful to the city’s economic well-being. That statement was made assuming that online casino gambling would cause a loss of retail gaming revenue as well as a loss in tourism.

After the presentation, a vote was held among city council members. It was unanimous in favor of joining the NAAiG, a signal that the town was prepared to join in the fight against iGaming now and at any time in the future.

The Focus of Gumer's Arguments Against iGaming

In his presentation, Gumer did not hold back regarding his concerns. He made clear that the passing of iGaming legislation would create the following issues for this small mining town:

• Loss of employment opportunities for town residents


• A negative economic impact for the town due to lost tourism


• Negative impact toward the potential of more future retail casinos in the area and throughout the state
  

In the end, the vote was held without discussion. In the process, Black Hawk became the first NAAiG member to actually serve as home to a brick-and-mortar casino.

It's important to remember two things. First, this entire voting process was done based on a hypothetical without counter presentations from iGaming proponents. Second, Black Hawk's meager population of around 130 residents isn't likely to scare off large iGaming operators that will come full force should Colorado lawmakers star the process of legalzing iGaming access.

The NAAiG is simply building up it's support in anticipation of what might be coming in te future. Among its members are land-based casino operators, retail gaming vendors, advocacy groups, and pro casino union membership. It's interesting to note that lines are already being drwn in the sand without reason to do so.