Southern Ute Tribe sues Colorado over online sports betting dispute

The Southern Ute Indian Tribe has begun legal action, accusing Gov. Jared Polis and Colorado State Game officials of mishandling the tribe’s online sports betting work. Tribal Chairman Melvin J. Baker announced the lawsuit Monday during a session of the Interim Study Committee on American Indian Affairs, which focuses on issues of importance to the American Indian community.

Disrespecting long-term commitments:

“Today, for the first time in decades, the Southern Ute Indian tribe has had to file a lawsuit in federal court against the state of Colorado because the administration refuses to respect the state’s explicit commitment to the tribe,” Baker said.

The Tribe claims that existing laws allow for any gaming activity approved in Colorado, if their activities reflect state betting amounts. Proposition DD, which was passed in 2019, added sports gambling to Colorado’s list of permitted gaming activities. However, Tribe faced resistance from state officials when he attempted to set up his own sportsbook. The complaint suggests that this opposition occurred because Tribe is not subject to a 10 percent tax levied on other game providers.

“The state’s disregard for binding gaming compacts is money-motivated,” the complaint alleges. “There is a 10% tax on sports betting regulated by Colorado, while such a tax cannot be applied to tribal games under federal law. Therefore, the state sought to exclude tribes from internet sports betting.”

The complaint referred to recent court rulings related to the Seminole tribe in Florida, noting that Southern Ute sportsbooks can take reservation bets from online gamblers anywhere in Colorado.

Baker criticized the state’s handling of the situation, saying officials had “waited until the last minute” to inform the Southern Ute tribe that an online sportsbook would require a state license. The tribe claims it required Colorado to pay 10% of the profits it bet outside of bookings.

“The key is market share, and as we wait for sports betting to become legal in Colorado to challenge the tribe’s ability to participate in sports betting, the Colorado Gaming Department has ensured that tribal gaming companies do not have the opportunity to achieve any level of market share,” Baker told the committee, as reported by CPR News. “While the law was drafted and considered, the state had the opportunity to contact tribal committees on a government-to-government basis. It never did.”

David Smith, director of legal services for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, emphasized that tribes are not subject to the state game tax, a principle established by federal law. “Under federal law, a tribe can only use the money for government operations and the welfare of tribal members. The reason is that tribes have very limited taxation powers, and so Congress set this up as a means for them to support government operations,” Smith explained. 에볼루션 바카라사이트

Seeking judicial and legislative solutions:

The complaint asks a federal district court in Colorado to review the legality of Sky Ute Sportsbook, which ceased operations in July 2023. Tribes seek a restraining order and reimbursement of litigation costs against the state.

Outside of court, the tribe urges the Colorado Legislature to address the issue legislatively. Smith noted, “Most states that implemented sports betting talked to the tribe at the time of implementation to see if there was a level playing field. And Colorado did not.” He initially mentioned Kansas, which passed legislation that guaranteed fair sports betting practices for the tribe.

2개의 댓글

Add Comment

답글 남기기

이메일 주소는 공개되지 않습니다. 필수 필드는 *로 표시됩니다