Raising the stakes in Colorado?

[Ricky B]

Anyone who has played in Central City, Blackhawk or Cripple Creek since gambling was legalized in Colorado circa 1990 is aware of the $5 micro-limits. This pretty much restricts the action at the poker tables to $2/5 LIMIT hold'em.

Colo Rep Ken Salazar was in the media sometime late '06 in support of a measure that would increase the stakes to at least $10 (perhaps $25).

(Yes, I know it's not much but when you can only play live legally for $5, it's at least something.)

I've attempted to reseach online, and have found a couple of op-ed pieces both for and against, but nothing since about January '07.

I was under the impression if the limit increase became law, it would take effect around July '07. Is this dead on the vine? If it's still alive, what's a likely implementation date?

(The increase may be tied to an initiative to impose a no-smoking law in casinos, which have been exempt to the state-wide no-smoking bill so far. I heard there may be a compromise to impose the no-smoking law in casinos in exchange for the limit increase???)

Any info would be appreciated...

[Grasshopp3r]

The casino smoking ban will go into effect January, 2008. Betting limits have not been addressed by potential legislation in the state, just talked about.

What we need is to have poker exempted and card rooms in Denver. The mountain gaming industry is a joke and is expensive to get to, both in time and cost.

[MLSchaff]

The problem with the limited stakes law is that it applies equally to all casino games - table and machine - as well as poker. Think about how much money you could blow at a slot machine at $5 a pull in an hour. You'd have to be playing relatively high stakes poker to have an equivalent loss potential.

A poker exemption would be huge. Have any Colorado legislators even considered introducing such a bill? I'll be moving (back) to Colorado soon so I'd love to know if its even possible to play live poker there in the next few years. I think I'll be booking a lot of Vegas trips unfortunately to get in live play.

[TreyWilly]

[ QUOTE ]
The mountain gaming industry is a joke and is expensive to get to, both in time and cost.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know. I kind of like going 15 mph down that winding hill at 2 a.m. with drunks blind passing into tour busses.

[Grasshopp3r]

I don't think that poker is a high priority in the legislature. All of the major underground clubs have been raided over the past 2 years. I do not see any changes.

[stormy455]

There is nothing on the near horizon. The $5 limit is written into the state constitution. In order to change it the constitution will have to be amended, which takes a vote of the people. To get it on the ballot it must be referred by the legislature or petitioned on by the people. I haven't seen anything on either front. Yeah, there was talk about raising the limits in exchange for the smoking ban but it was just talk, and I think the people would have seen the cynicism in that and voted it down had it been put on the ballot. IMO, it will be a long time before the limits are raised or gambling is expanded in Colorado.