Like many other states, Colorado has stringent gaming laws limiting the availability of specific games to the public. Colorado only offers specific types of betting games in designated areas of the state including the following historic towns:
- Central City
- Black Hawk
- Cripple Creek
This decision was made into a law in 1989 and only allowed blackjack, poker and slot machines with a maximum bet of five dollars to be wagered. Central City and Black Hawk are in the North Central section of the state approximately 37 miles from Denver. Cripple Creek is in the center of the state, just outside Colorado Springs.
The agency overseeing gaming is the Division of Gaming and the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission with The Department of Revenue as the supervisory body. The Division of Gaming distributes gambling licenses and regulates the behavior of the industry.
The Governor appoints five members to the Gaming Control Commission which is corroborated by Colorado Senate. Only three members can be of the same political party with only one from per congressional district. The members must have an attorney, public accountant, a management-level business person, a law enforcement officer and a registered voter not in the industry of the other four members.
The four members of their specific professions must have five years experience in their industry. All terms are staggered with no single member serving more than two terms. The commission propagates all gambling regulations, establishes the gaming tax, allots funds to various state departments and designates fiduciary power over the Division of Gaming.
click here to see most Popular PagesAdditional functions include collecting license fees, adopting and enforcing regulations as well as research and development and conducting investigations of gaming in Colorado. The tax structure for casino properties within the state is up to 18 percent of revenue depending on the size of the operation. There is also an annual tax on gaming licenses.
There are many rules and regulations in place to keep gaming in Colorado limited to three towns offering the service and only three games available with a small maximum bet. The Division of Gaming and the Gaming Commission have many responsibilities to keep the limited operators in check.
Its unlikely Colorado will expand its laws in the near future to include additional casino operators and games. The stringent laws have been successful since implementation in 1989. As a result, these regulations have kept order and minimized criminal activity.
