OPPOSITION TO SB11-233 GROWING

Sheriffs Organization Opposes VLT Slot Measure

DENVER - County Sheriffs of Colorado (CSOC), representing the state's 64 county sheriffs, voted Friday to oppose a measure that would allow at least two "super casinos" to be located anywhere in the state.  CSOC joins a growing list of local governments, business, tourism and community college organizations that are working to defeat SB11-233.

The people who are pushing this bill claim that the casinos will be located at Arapahoe Park and in Pueblo, but that's not what the bill says," explained Arpahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson. "The bill would allow casinos larger than anything we currently have in Colorado to be opened anywhere in the state - suburban Colorado Springs, Grand Junction, Longmont or anywhere Mile High Racing and Entertainment chooses."

Mile High Racing and Entertainment currently operates Arapahoe Park in Aurora and, under SB11-233, would be the only entity eligible to operate the new casinos.

Robinson said that Colorado's sheriffs are concerned because the bill does not allow voters a say in whether or not a casino will be located in their neighborhoods and because it does not provide the funds to help deal with the law enforcement issues that arise from casino gaming.

In addition to County Sheriffs of Colorado, the following organizations are also opposing SB11-233:

• Action 22, in Southern Colorado
• Arapahoe County
• City of Aurora
• Colorado Advocates for Problem Gamblers, Inc.
• Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry
• Colorado Restaurant Association
• Colorado Community College System
• Colorado Gaming Association
• Council of Neighbors and Organizations, in C. Springs
• Protect Our Neighborhoods
• South Metro Chamber of Commerce
• Tour Colorado
• Tourism Industry Association of Colorado

April 13, 2011
Denver Post Editorial:
Gambling bill ignores voters

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Local Elected Officials Opposing SB11-233 Gaming Expansion

Aurora and Arapahoe County Urge
Legislators to Vote 'No'

Local elected officials have pledged to fight a legislative attempt to allow two "super casinos" to be opened in Colorado, bypassing the election process mandated in the state constitution. One possible location for a new casino would be Aurora's Arapahoe Park and, with that possibility in mind, both the Aurora City Council and the Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners have decided to work against the measure.

The bill sparking all the controversy is SB11-233. Sponsored by two Adams County state senators, SB11-233 would authorize the owners of Arapahoe Park, Mile High Racing and Entertainment, to open two facilities with as many as 2,500 video lottery terminals in each facility.  According to Wikipedia, video lottery terminals are similar to slot machines and opponents of SB11-233 say that they fall under the definition of 'slot machine' found in Article 18 of the Colorado Constitution.

"For all practical purposes, a video lottery terminal is a slot machine, " explained Commerce City Councilperson Kathy Teter, who heads up Protect Our Neighborhoods (PON), a coalition of local elected officials that is opposing SB11-233. "Racetrack owners tried to convince Colorado voters that video lottery terminals weren't slot machines back in 2003, but voters saw through the scam and overwhelmingly defeated that ballot measure."

"It's important for legislators to understand what SB 233 will mean to local taxpayers," said Aurora City Councilperson Robert Broom, a member of PON.  "The casinos envisioned in SB-233 would be bigger than anything we currently have in Black Hawk, Central City or Cripple Creek.  The facilities would put enormous pressure on our infrastructure and force local taxpayers to pick up the tab."

Arapahoe County Commissioner Rod Bockenfeld is also concerned that the new casinos would not be subject to the constitutional limits that restrict Colorado's mountain casinos. "The bill doesn't provide bet limits or even a minimum age for gamblers. With the state lottery overseeing these operations, we'd could see 18-year-olds able to legally play slots." The minimum age for playing The Colorado Lottery is 18, while gamblers in mountain casinos must be at least 21 years old.

Aurora City Council members and Arapahoe County commissioners will be contacting legislators to urge a 'no' vote and they expect to testify against SB11-233 Wednesday afternoon when it's scheduled to be heard in the Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee.

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TELL LEGISLATORS THAT 'NO' MEANS 'NO'

In 2003, 81 percent of Colorado voters said 'no' to allowing up to 500 slot machines to be installed at each of Colorado's racetracks. This year, the owner of Colorado's sole horse racing track, Mile High Racing and Entertainment, is hoping legislators have short memories and will do what voters won't do, authorize two huge casinos (2, 500 slot machines each) to be put somewhere in Colorado.

SB11-233 would:

Create two super casinos that would be larger than anything in Black Hawk, Central City or Cripple Creek.

Skip the constitutional requirement that both statewide and local voters have a say in whether or not gaming is expanded.

Require local taxpayers to pick up the tab for all the extra city services (i.e. roads, police and fire services) required by the super casinos.

Force the Colorado Lottery, rather than the Colorado Division of Gaming, to supervise the casinos, making it likely that 18-year-olds will be able to gamble and there will be no bet limits.

CONTACT THE STATE SENATORS BELOW AND TELL THEM TO LISTEN TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS, FOLLOW THE CONSTITUTION AND VOTE 'NO' ON SB11-233.

THEY'RE AT IT AGAIN
HB 1243 Would Expand Gaming Without Local Votes

Colorado’s Constitution requires a local vote before casino-style gaming can be expanded into any community beyond Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek. It’s a requirement that legislators seem to feel free to ignore, though.

This year’s attempt to end-run the constitution is HB11-1243, by State Rep. Sal Pace, D-Pueblo. It requires the Colorado Lottery to create “one or more” forms of keno games with half the proceeds going toward tourism promotion and the other half funding “a newly created program to provide one-time grants to Colorado businesses to reverse the offshoring of jobs.”

Five previous attempts to expand gaming without voter approval have taught Protect Our Neighborhoods (PON) that when a bill authorizes the Lottery to offer keno games, it’s not talking about the traditional Lottery scratch ticket games. HB11-1243 doesn’t define ‘keno,’ but it’s certain that some form of electronic keno is what would emerge. Electronic keno machines look like slot machines and play like slot machines. Loading up convenience stores, bars and/or restaurants with electronic keno machines is the same as loading them with slot machines.

That’s why PON is opposing HB11-1243 and we need your help. The bill is scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday, February 23, at 1:30 p.m. in the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. Urge the committee members below to preserve your right to vote on gaming expansion by voting ‘no’ on HB11-1243.

Protect Our Neighborhoods Press Release
10/14/2010