BLACK HAWK - It didn’t take much convincing. After a presentation by Jason Gumer, vice chair of the National Association Against iGaming (NAAG) and Executive Vice President and general counsel for Monarch Casino, the Black Hawk City Council quickly agreed to become the first municipality in the nation to join the newly formed coalition against online casinos.

Gumer said that he’s “not a great public speaker,” but delivered a clear and concise warning, telling the council that online casino gambling, or iGaming, threatens Colorado’s brick-and-mortar casinos, local jobs, and public health.

“This is being able to kind of sit in your bed on your cell phone and spin the slot machine over and over,” he said. “As of now, there are only seven states in the United States that allow this, but Europe has had it for a while. We look at what’s happening in England, and they introduced [iGaming] as a savior for governments and for tax revenue… but nothing’s been further from the truth.”

Without much discussion, Black Hawk took him up on the offer, making it the first city in the country to align with NAAG.

“If iGaming comes, casino growth stops.”

Gumer made it clear that iGaming isn’t just a bad idea for individuals. It is a threat to entire casino towns like Black Hawk.

“If iGaming comes, you will not see another casino opened, brick and mortar, again,” he warned. “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.”

He referenced a NAAG-commissioned study by The Innovation Group that projected the following economic losses if iGaming were legalized in Colorado:

2,050 jobs lost statewide, including 1,200 direct jobs in mountain towns.

$129 million per year in lost labor income.

$520 million in lost economic output.

$830 million in increased social costs due to gambling addiction, debt, and related problems.

“iGaming doesn’t support jobs… iGaming takes the profits and sends it out of state.”

The Colorado gaming industry fights back

Gumer described how NAAG mobilized against an anticipated iGaming bill in Colorado earlier this year.

“There was talk this year that Colorado was going to see an iGaming bill,” he said. “Before it got into NAAG, we mobilized. We got our Colorado Gaming Association to vote 5-7 to oppose iGaming but this is going to come back.”

He pointed out that historically, Coloradans have rejected gambling expansion.

“In 2014, there was an attempt to add slot machines at the racetracks in Colorado,” he reminded the council. “And 70% of voters were against it.”

He said that the argument for iGaming is built on the false premise that because some people already gamble illegally on offshore websites, the state should legalize, regulate, and tax the practice.

“The biggest argument that’s crazy to me is that we have to legalize this because it’s already here,” Gumer said.

He shared that casino industry leaders—even some who profit from iGaming in other states—oppose it in Colorado.

“Even a company like National Gaming, that has iGaming in other states, people assumed would support iGaming,” he said. “When we talked to them, they were like, ‘You know what? Maybe in other states, but not in Colorado.’ Colorado is very unique. We invested our brick and mortar up here, and Colorado voters have consistently said we want this in our mountain towns, not in our bedrooms.”

Mayor David Spellman spoke to the public health aspect of the issue when he said, "Can you imagine when you can just gamble at work, even? I mean, this is a scourge. And so I think through the education that Jason's talking about is the way to combat it."

With this, the council unanimously voted to join NAAG.

With online gambling likely to be a recurring issue, residents are left to consider:

What will happen to casino towns if gambling moves online?

How can Colorado protect its gaming industry without creating more gambling addiction problems?

Should the state follow others in rejecting iGaming or allow it with stricter regulations?

For now, Black Hawk has taken a clear stance: Online casinos have no place in Colorado’s gaming future.

For more information on gambling laws in Colorado, visit the Colorado Department of Revenue’s gaming regulations page at sbg.colorado.gov.

Police get AI help, new vehicles

While iGaming dominated the discussion, the council also voted on two key resolutions affecting the Black Hawk Police Department:

• Resolution 20-2025 – The council unanimously approved a $56,266.28 purchase of “Draft One,” an AI-assisted report-writing add-on for the city’s Axon body-worn camera (BWC) system.

The system is expected to improve report consistency and reduce paperwork time, allowing officers to spend more time in the field. Concerns were raised about AI’s role in law enforcement, but officials stressed that officers would still be required to review and thoroughly approve all reports before submission.

• Resolution 21-2025 – The council eagerly and unanimously approved the purchase of three replacement police vehicles totaling $200,402.53. The new cars, a Chevrolet Trailblazer, a Ford Explorer, and a Ford Expedition, will replace aging units in the department’s fleet.

The meeting adjourned at 3:27 p.m. The next Black Hawk City Council meeting is scheduled for March 26, 2025, and can be attended in person at 211 Church Street.