Colorado Latest State to Consider Legalizing Online Gambling

The state of Colorado is the first in the Mountain Zone to consider legalizing online gambling.

Already three states in the US have legalized Web gambling within their respective borders: Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware.

"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."

Rep. Kevin Priola, R-Adams County, said he was among a group of bipartisan lawmakers who took up the issue last session.
"My thought and some others' thoughts were, let's have Colorado as close to the starting line as we can possibly be because as soon as the gates open, I think there are only going to be a few states that are going to have enough scale to make it work," Priola said.

There is wide speculation that states like Colorado, with a willingness to embrace legalized Web gambling, could ultimately join in multi-state compacts formed by states like New Jersey or Nevada as opposed to managing the licensing process on their own.

- Chris Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher