A proposed initiative would remove betting limitations the upper betting limits in Colorado’s three casino towns, Central City, Cripple Creek and Black Hawk.
The state’s voters authorized “limited-stakes gaming” in the cities in 1990. Back then, the limit was $5 a game. Eighteen years later, voters raised the limit to $100.
Bruce Brown, former mayor of Cripple Creek, is one of the leaders of the effort. The other is former state Senate President Bill Cadman. Brown argues that the gaming towns have built their economies around the hotels, eateries and tourism that gaming brings, and they should be decide for themselves if they want betting limits. Initiative 257 would give the towns that option, the former elected officials note that almost all states do without betting limits.
Cadman said last week, “If the three Colorado casino towns choose to extend their limits and game options, the modest boost to revenue would be a win-win-win for all the businesses and employees in these small towns, the players who are asking for more gaming options, and the community colleges that receive the taxes.”
Proponents need to gather 125,000 valid signatures by the beginning of August. The mayors of the three towns support the initiative.
Karen Crummy, a spokesman for the effort, added that lifting the limit would enable the towns to attract the high rollers in Colorado and elsewhere who typically bypass the towns for bigger prizes in other states.
Last November, voters approved sports betting for the three towns. That begins May 1 and meantime the state is writing regulations for the new game in town.
