Gaming and Gambling in Colorado

One of the ballot measures that voters will decide on this November is Amendment 68.  According to the State Ballot Information Booklet (or “Blue Book”),

Amendment 68 proposes to amend the Colorado Constitution to:

• Permit casino gambling at horse racetracks in Arapahoe, Mesa, and Pueblo counties, limited to one racetrack in each county; and
• distribute new casino tax revenue to K-12 public schools.

In 1992 voters approved a constitutional amendment allowing casino gambling in three cities — Central City, Black Hawk, and Cripple Creek.  (For a history of this initiative see the University Press of Colorado book Riches and Regrets:  Betting on Gambling in Two Colorado Mountain Towns, available for checkout from our library).  Proponents of Amendment 68 argue that it will provide consumers more choices and will benefit public schools with additional revenue.  Opponents argue that the three mountain communities will lose a vital part of their economy, and less money will go to the interests currently funded by casino revenues, including community colleges, historic preservation, and tourism promotion.  Refer to the Blue Book for a complete analysis of the pros and cons of Amendment 68. 

You can find out more about gaming and gambling in Colorado by visiting the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Division of Gaming website.  Here you will find resources on licensing, laws and regulations, statistics, tribal casinos, problem gambling, tax filing for casinos, and more.  Also, be sure and check our library’s web catalog for additional resources.