The chairmen of two Native American tribes in Colorado have asked the state legislature for changes in the sports betting laws. The Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute tribal chairmen said they are losing revenue because they are unable to participate in sports betting.
In 2019, when discussions were taking place about legalizing retail and online sports betting in Colorado, the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute tribes said they were unable to get one of the coveted online licenses.
Voters approved legalizing sports betting in the November 2019 election and sportsbooks went live on May 1, 2020.
The two tribes did manage to get a license to have sports betting in their casinos, the Ute Mountain Casino in Towaoc and the Southern Ute Sky Ute casino in Ignacio.
Ute Mountain Ute Chairman Manuel Heart and Southern Ute Chairman Melvin Baker told the Legislature they were not consulted when Proposition DD was being discussed. That was the proposition that gave voters the option to either approve or reject sports betting.
“Time is money,” Heart told the Colorado Sun. “And since this has been passed in 2019, we’ve lost that much money with sports betting.”
Heart said the federal law tribes are required to use gambling revenue for tribal services. But under Proposition DD the tax revenue collected for sports betting sees the majority of it going toward water projects. Tribes are exempt from paying taxes on gaming revenue.
Heart said he wants the state to let the tribes use the tax revenue for their water rights on tribal lands.
“We have our own water issues,” Heart said.
The two tribal chairmen were allowed to speak to the legislature about gambling issues because of a 2022 bill. Both Heart and Baker pleaded with the Colorado General Assembly to include tribal issues when it comes to policy.
“We can’t always agree on every issue but sometimes it’s better to disagree and work together,” Baker told the Sun. “It is the cooperation and willingness to work together that makes us all stronger.”
Several state lawmakers told the Sun that finding a solution is tricky because there are three governmental entities – state, federal and tribal – to consider.
“At this time, we do not have a comment and usually don’t comment on pending legislation or legislative proposals outside official testimony on the bill and/or fiscal notes,” said Meghan Tanis, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Division of Gaming.
Heart said he believes compromise is possible.
“We appreciate the efforts of the state,” Heart told the Sun. “They have tried to find a solution but we have not been able to agree on a way to move forward that protects our sovereignty. We should not be regulated as a business entity in the state of Colorado.”
