Supporters of allowing an Aurora horse track to operate businesses with “video-lottery terminals” — devices similar to slot machines — are back at the state Capitol this year with another proposal.
This time, supporters say, there’s more money for community colleges in the deal and provisions requiring local officials or voters to approve any video-lottery operations in their areas. House Bill 1280 is sponsored by Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling, Rep. Don Coram, R-Montrose, and Sen. Lois Tochtrop, D-Thornton.
It has bipartisan support and opposition.
“We believe that House Bill 1280 will create more than 1,200 good-paying, full-time jobs for Coloradans while generating as much as $95 million annually in new revenue for the state without raising taxes,” Sonnenberg said.
But opponents — casinos in Colorado’s three mountain gambling towns — say that despite a few tweaks, the proposal is essentially the same as one that died in the 2011 session.
“Last year, they put lipstick on the pig, and this year they put lipstick and false eyelashes on the pig,” said Katy Atkinson, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Gaming Association, which represents the casinos.
The bill would pay 30 percent of net video-lottery proceeds to the state annually, with 40 percent of that — up to $38 million — going to the state Conservation Trust Fund and 10 percent — as much as $9.5 million — going to state parks.
The remaining 50 percent of the state’s take would provide about $29 million a year to community colleges, with inflationary adjustments; about $11 million for college scholarships; and about $5.5 million for rural school-construction grants.
Under the bill, only an operator of a “Class B” racetrack that holds at least 30 race days a year could operate the video-lottery terminals. That designation applies only to Mile High USA, which operates the Arapahoe Park horse track in Aurora.
The bill would allow the company to operate three facilities — one in Pueblo, one somewhere on the Western Slope and another that would be east of the Continental Divide and not in Pueblo.
The company says its intention is to operate the last facility in the Denver area, though it says whether that’s at Arapahoe Park remains to be seen.
The legislation permits up to 2,500 video-lottery terminals per facility, more devices than the Ameristar Casino in Blackhawk, which has just fewer than 1,500 slot machines.
Both sides agree that video-lottery terminals look and play like slot machines, but supporters say that doesn’t mean Mile High USA would be operating casinos.
The Colorado Constitution allows casinos and slot machines only in the three mountain gambling towns, and expanding beyond those locations would require a statewide vote and local votes in areas where new casinos would be located.
Casinos say the bill violates the constitution, but supporters say it’s a lottery issue, not a casino matter.
“We believe that the (Colorado) Lottery Commission and the General Assembly have the ability to expand the number of games that are offered under the lottery, and so there is not a need for a statewide constitutional vote,” said Bill Ray, a spokesman for Arapahoe Park.
Casinos also say the proposal would be another attempt to get around voters, who in 2003 overwhelmingly shot down video-lottery terminals. But supporters say enough time has passed since 2003 that it’s worth bringing the issue back up for discussion.
The bill awaits a hearing before the House Agriculture Committee, which Sonnenberg heads.
Tim Hoover: 303-954-1626 or thoover@denverpost.com
