By Damian Martinez, journalist at G&M News.
You have nearly 20 years of experience in the gaming industry. What are the most significant changes you’ve seen in Colorado’s gaming and sports betting landscape over the past two decades?
Until 2009, Colorado only permitted a USD 5 maximum wage and only allowed slot machines, blackjack and poker games to be offered. The casinos also had limited hours that they could be open. After an approved amendment to the Colorado state constitution, which was voted in favor by Coloradans, the maximum wager increased to USD 100, as well as approving additional games and extending casino hours. In 2020, Coloradans voted in favor of removing betting limits. Moreover, 2020 was the year of the legalization of sports betting, both at the brick-and-mortar casinos as well as online. This has helped Colorado continue to be a premier destination, adding first-class gaming to the long list of reasons consumers travel to Colorado.
January 2025 saw record-breaking sports betting tax revenue in Colorado. What key factors contributed to this milestone?
Colorado continues to see record breaking handle as well as tax revenue. I believe that there are several reasons that we continue to see growth. First, Coloradans are no longer required to travel to another state to wager on their favorite events, and instead can visit our historic gaming towns as well as wager anywhere in the centennial state, from our robust catalog of events that are offered. We also work diligently to provide a fair and regulated market to protect players and ensure the integrity of gaming throughout Colorado. The Division continues to look at what we can offer from a sports betting perspective to provide a competitive market. For example, we were the second in the country to offer fixed odds wagering and the first in the country to public rules on exchange wagering.
The state has seen consistent growth in sports betting since legalization. Do you anticipate this trend continuing, and what challenges might the industry face in sustaining this momentum?
I think we’ll keep on experiencing consistent growth in the Colorado market. With all gaming regulators, we must be open to change. Regarding technology advancements, we continue to see different efficiencies that are available now, compared to just five years ago. By embracing technology and being open to new ways to regulate, as well as new sports wagers to offer, I think we Colorado will continue to be at the forefront of the sports betting regulation. I also think having a strong stakeholder process for new rules is imperative to success. It is important to get feedback from all of all stakeholders, such as Colorado consumers, responsible gaming advocates, regulators in other jurisdictions, and our operators to ensure a fair, responsible and regulated market.
The Division of Gaming recently approved nearly USD 3 million in responsible gaming grants. What specific initiatives or programs will these funds support?
At the February Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission, the Commission awarded grants to encourage prevention and education on gambling addiction, provide additional counselors, and raise public awareness as well as supporting treatment, recovery, data and research in Colorado. (This was accomplished through House Bill 22-1402 to promote responsible gaming and address problem gaming in Colorado.) The nine grants that were recently approved cover a variety of important initiatives such as a therapist certification sustainability project, a Colorado athlete wellbeing program, a Colorado Military stigma reduction project, a Colorado schools gambling and gaming education project, and problem gambling awareness and support for Colorado battling addiction program, just to name a few. The Division takes responsible gaming seriously and advocates for addressing problem gambling concerns. In fact, just last week the Division was at the Colorado State Capitol to talk with Legislators and the public about problem gambling to kick off our Problem Gaming Awareness Month campaign.
What role do operators play in promoting responsible gaming, and how does the Division ensure compliance with best practices?
The Colorado Division of Gaming is very proud of the steps that the operators have taken to ensure responsible gaming in Colorado. In September 2023, the Division implemented a responsible gaming self-exclusion program. This empowers individuals to voluntarily exclude themselves from all forms of regulated gaming in Colorado for one, three or five years. When an individual is enrolled into the program, all Colorado operators take immediate steps to prevent those individuals from participating in regulated gaming and cease any marketing advertisements toward them. The Division continues to work with operators to ensure that best practices are implemented, and we audit those practices to ensure compliance. I am very pleased with the dedication of Colorado operators; operators work at ensuring compliance with rules and regulations as well as their continued collaboration to assist the Division in addressing problem gambling for the small percentage of individuals that develop a problem gambling concern has been great.
Looking ahead, do you foresee any major policy changes or legislative updates that could impact gaming in Colorado?
We are excited for the future of gaming in the Centennial State. We continue to collaborate with all our stakeholders to ensure that Coloradans have a fair and regulated environment so that they can game with confidence. I believe that as we continue to leverage technology, be open-minded about new ways to regulate and open to new advancements in the industry, Colorado will continue to grow.