Gilpin County commissioners unanimously join National Association Against iGaming

The Gilpin County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously April 8 to adopt Resolution 25-047, joining the National Association Against iGaming (NAAIG) and declaring that the introduction of full online casino gaming (iGaming) would be detrimental to the health, welfare and safety of Gilpin County residents and businesses.

Commissioners acted after a presentation from Jason Gummer, executive vice president and general counsel for Monarch Casino Resort, who spoke to commissioners about iGaming, its national rollout and studies he said demonstrate negative economic and public-health impacts. "When I talk about iGaming, I mean full online casino slots and table games," Gummer said. "It's taking what you see right down the road and putting it in the palm of your hand in your smartphone or on your computer." He urged county support for NAAIG’s effort to oppose iGaming bills in Colorado and nationally.

Gummer told commissioners that research the association commissioned found iGaming can cannibalize brick-and-mortar casino revenue and cited estimates for Colorado he said included loss of more than 2,000 jobs statewide and hundreds of millions of dollars in lost economic output. He also described studies he said show increases in problem gambling hotline calls and other social harms in jurisdictions that legalized full online casino gaming.

In discussion, Gummer described the structure of the online gaming market and the recent rapid expansion of online sports betting. He said a small number of firms control a large share of the sports-betting market, and that full online casino games have become the more profitable focus for those operators. "The online gaming companies promised ... it's already everywhere. You can do it illegally with your VPN," he said, summarizing industry arguments for legalization and taxation and responding with concerns about the social costs.

Commissioners asked about the local fiscal impact of sports betting and the sources for figures cited in the resolution and Gummer’s remarks. Gummer said he obtained certain town-level revenue figures from the Colorado Division of Gaming’s public data and that NAAIG had commissioned an economic analysis from the Innovation Group; he offered to provide more detailed breakdowns on request. The board received the presentation, then Commissioner (mover) moved to adopt Resolution 25-047; a second was recorded and the board voted "aye" three times. The motion carried 3-0.

The resolution, as presented to the board, stated that Black Hawk and Central City together accounted for 83.7% of statewide adjusted gross proceeds in the cited period and that 47.5% of specified 02/2024 revenue received by Gilpin County was directly tied to gaming activity. The board’s action names Gilpin County the first U.S. county to join NAAIG, and the resolution expresses the board’s finding that iGaming introduction would be detrimental to the county’s people, businesses and communities.

Gummer said membership for the county would carry no cost to Gilpin County; he said administrative costs are borne by casino members. After the vote commissioners and Gummer paused for photographs and agreed to follow up on any data requests.

The board’s recorded action was adoption of Resolution 25-047. No written amendments to the resolution were recorded in the meeting transcript.

Why it matters: Black Hawk and Central City host the bulk of Colorado's limited-stakes casino activity and Gilpin County derives a substantial portion of local revenues from gaming-related activity. The county’s formal position places it on record opposing legislative efforts to legalize full online casino gaming in Colorado and supports broader national coordination to that effect.