First Pot, Now Possibly Legalized Online Gambling in Colorado
A Constitutional amendment would be required to allow real money online gambling in Colorado and voters could ultimately decide whether or not to allow the activity some time in the approaching year (2014).
"Under Colorado law, a bet is placed where the person placing the bet is located," state Attorney General John Suthers wrote in a formal opinion released this week. "However, the location of the server or other hardware or software that determines the outcome of the bet would also be relevant to the permissibility of any online gambling under Colorado law."
Lawmakers and industry officials are currently exploring an option to legalize online gambling in one of the first and only states to legalize marijuana for recreational use.
"This is something we are monitoring very closely," said Troy Stremming, executive vice president of government relations for Pinnacle Entertainment, owner of Colorado's largest casino, Ameristar Black Hawk, in an interview with the Denver Post.
"Internet gaming continues to evolve state-by-state, and through ever-changing technology," Stremming said. "With respect to Colorado, when there is a piece of legislation to review, we can make decisions based on whether or not participation will be beneficial to the company."
Colorado has some concerns over the impact of Internet gambling on land-based casinos.
"We had talked very late in last year's session with some legislators who were interested in pursuing it," said Lois Rice, executive director of the Colorado Gaming Association, an industry trade group. "We're still exploring it."
The push to legalize Web gambling in the state is likely to take place as early as January though voters likely will not have a say until next November.
To date only Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey have legalized Internet gambling within their borders. New Jersey, in particular, is being viewed as a test case and, in only a month’s time, the success rate has been astonishing with some 91000 accounts set up over this time period.
- Chris Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
