- Black Hawk, Colo. becomes first town to join the National Association Against iGaming (NAAG)
- It’s one of the fastest-growing casino markets in the country
Black Hawk, Colo. is home to a burgeoning brick-and-mortar casino market, and the town has no intention of threatening that industry by embracing iGaming.
With essentially no resistance, the Black Hawk City Council recently voted in favor of joining the National Association Against iGaming (NAAG), becoming the first casino municipality in the country to do so. Jason Gumer, vice chairman of NAAG and general counsel for Monarch Casino & Resort, made a presentation to the Black Hawk City Council, paving the way for the town to join NAAG. He warned that iGaming is a threat to the municipality’s economic vitality.
If iGaming comes, you will not see another casino opened, brick and mortar, again,” said Gumer, according to The Mountain Ear. “You’re not going to see companies like Monarch, who have invested hundreds of millions of dollars to build new properties, to grow jobs. It’s going to stop.”
Monarch runs a namesake casino hotel in Black Hawk — a property that’s one of the highest-grossing of its kind in that market.
Makes Sense Black Hawk Would Oppose iGaming
It’s not surprising that Black Hawk would be averse to iGaming. That casino market, which also includes Central City, is one of the fastest-growing in the country and is approaching the top 10 in terms of gross gaming revenue (GGR).
In recent years, Colorado has taken steps to enhance the appeal of its trio of casino markets, adding table games and lifting bet limits in a bid to attract more high-end bettors while keeping locals in the state instead of going to Las Vegas. Black Hawk’s GGR growth confirms those efforts have paid dividends. That good work could be undone if Colorado embraces iGaming.
When speaking before the city council, Gumer cited a NAAG-commissioned study by The Innovation Group that indicated Colorado risks losing more than 2,000 jobs if internet casinos are approved. He added that the state could lose $129 million in labor income while incurring costs of up to $830 million related to increased gaming addiction, consumer debt, and related issues.
“iGaming doesn’t support jobs … iGaming takes the profits and sends it out of state,” the Monarch executive told the Black Hawk City Council.
iGaming Outlook Could Spell Reprieve for Colorado
Not mentioned by Gumer at the meeting is the increasingly dim outlook for iGaming approvals over the next several years. Industry consensus indicates that between now and the end of 2027, only Florida will join the roster of seven states that currently permit internet casinos.
Gumer noted that executives from some casino operators in Colorado that have iGaming exposure in other states oppose bringing that form of wagering to the Centennial State.
He added that the industry and towns such as Black Hawk need to be vigilant because the state recently flirted with internet casino legislation before NAAG intervened to quash the bill’s ascent.
The post Colorado Casino Hub Becomes First Town to Join Anti-iGaming Group appeared first on Casino.org.
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