Proposition DD asked for the $29 million so
that lawmakers wouldn’t have to go back to
voters as revenue from sports betting grows.
Initial revenue is estimated to be $11 million
next fiscal year.
“TABOR requires us to start with, ‘Shall we
raise taxes,’” Garnett said. “There’s a baseline of
voters in Colorado — it doesn’t matter if you’re
taxing casinos or puppies — they’re going to be
against taxes, period.”
Gambling is strictly controlled in Colorado, and
table limits are among the lowest in the country.
Casino betting is restricted to card games, slots
and roulette. Maximum bets are $100.
“Colorado has a unique relationship with
gaming, and many voters don’t know we already
have a responsible framework to regulate it,”
Garnett said.
Tyler Sandberg, a veteran GOP consultant, also
said voters’ rejection of Proposition CC “bled into
the sports question” and induced many to vote no.
It happened in 2018, when voters rejected
competing ballot measures to increase state
funding for schools and transportation.
“I also think there is the quandary of how
Colorado voters feel about gambling,” Sandberg
said, citing the restrictions imposed by voters on
casino gambling.
It’s likely that sportsbooks companies that are
already operating around the country, like
DraftKings or FanDuel, would manage the
betting for the casinos. The two companies
spent more than $1.5 million combined to
support Proposition DD.