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All-Night Gambling Starts At Colorado Casinos

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Jul 2, 2009 2:42 pm US/Mountain

All-Night Gambling Starts At Colorado Casinos

BLACK HAWK, Colo. (CBS4/AP) ― Gamblers in Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek are celebrating new laws that allow them to gamble 24 hours a day.

The mountain casinos were packed Wednesday night into the wee hours of Thursday morning.

The changes approved by voters include a higher betting limit of $100. Gamblers can also play craps and roulette -- two games that weren't previously offered.

Tony Cooper was among the gamblers in Black Hawk's Lodge Casino who were there to mark the occasion.

"I couldn't get on the table for at least 30 minutes but it was well worth the wait," he told CBS4.

State economists predict the new gaming rules will generate more than $30 million in new revenue during the next fiscal year.

As much as $10 million of that money will go to Colorado's community colleges.

Golden Casino Group Vice President Jef Bauer said it's setting up Colorado to have a growing gambling industry this year, when casinos elsewhere are struggling.

"A lot of people around the country were scoffing at Colorado because we have limited-stakes gambling. Right now, they're not laughing. They're all a little bit jealous," Bauer said.

Central City Mayor Ron Slinger estimated Amendment 50, which enabled the towns to enact the new laws, has already added 200 to 250 jobs. In response to the amendment, the town eased parking requirements and height restrictions on buildings to be ready for investors with plans to bring in new businesses, Slinger said.

At the Fortune Valley Hotel and Casino in Central City, hundreds of cakes, 1,200 pounds of crab legs and three Elvises awaited VIP guests the casino was hosting Wednesday night. Its 118 rooms were nearly all booked. It added 100 new employees -- a 25 percent increase -- so it could stay open around the clock.

In Black Hawk, a technician was reconfiguring slot machines at the Golden Mardi Gras Casino to take higher bets. It also boosted hiring by 40 percent to about 500 employees.

The casino has added pho and other Asian dishes to cater to higher-stakes, VIP gamblers it now expects to draw, Bauer said.

Cripple Creek Mayor Dan Baader said town leaders hope the changes brought by Amendment 50 can help lure investors and fill vacant lots.

"We got what we asked for, and it all has to bear fruit," he said.

"A lot of people think it's going to be a panacea, but the economy's got to turn around first," said American Gaming Enterprises LLC Chief Operating Officer Eddie Lynn, who is hoping to break ground on a casino and hotel in Central City next year. Lynn expected a total investment of $70 million, or about $20 million more than if Amendment 50 failed.

Retired carpenter Charles Smith of Denver said he lets himself bet too little and goes to bed too early to care much about expanded gambling.

"There's so many people who have gambling problems much worse than what I got," Smith said after playing mostly penny games at four Black Hawk casinos Wednesday. "Being able to bet $100, 24 hours a day, is just looking for trouble."

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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