Sports Betting: A Win for Colorado’s water


When Coloradans voted to legalize sports betting in November 2019, they made Colorado’s water the winner.

Colorado places a 10% tax on casinos’ sports-betting profits, which has already begun raising millions of dollars each year to protect and conserve our water resources, fund grant projects specified in the state’s water plan and ensure there’s enough water for everyone. Thus far, sports betting revenue has raised over $50 million to support water projects.

Colorado’s rivers, lakes and streams face increasing pressures from population growth and climate change. We must invest to protect and conserve our water so Colorado remains a world-class place to live, work and recreate.

Up to 93% of revenue from the tax on casinos will go to fund the implementation of Colorado’s Water Plan.

So, you want to help Colorado’s rivers, lakes and streams? You bet!

How Much Funding Is Going to River Projects from Annual Sports Betting Taxes?

 

The FY2023 total was $27 million, sending over twice as much funding to water projects as FY2022 ($12 million). Since its inception in 2020, Proposition DD has produced an over $60 million for investment in healthy rivers. 

Check out our Colorado Water Plan Grant Projects Map below to learn more about the type of projects these funds will benefit.

What people are saying:

I think the water plan is going to increasingly become one of the most important priorities that we need to help send dedicated funding to.”

Speaker of the Colorado House Alec Garnett

 

Read more in The Denver Post

The [gaming] division is happy with the revenues exceeding expectations and how positive the impact will be in the fall for the water plan.”

Colorado Division of Gaming Spokeswoman Suzanne Karrer

 

Read more in The Colorado Sun