A casino-backed campaign opposing a ballot initiative to allow video lottery machines at horse and dog tracks opened Wednesday with radio ads that call the plan "a big lie."
The proposal would allow 500 terminals in Front Range racetracks. The proposal is backed by Wembley Colorado, which owns four of the five tracks. It's opposed by mountain-town casinos, which see the proposal as a threat to their business.
"Wembley is calling these machines 'video lottery terminals' in Colorado because they know voters would never intentionally authorize slot machines along the Front Range," said John Dill, chairman of the opposition campaign group Don't Turn Race Tracks into Casinos.
Proponents of the initiative formed the group Support Colorado's Economy and Environment and have gathered 75,000 signatures. Members say they are aiming for 120,000. They need 68,829 signatures from registered voters to get the plan on the November ballot.
Under the initiative, 61 percent of money spent on the machines would go to state programs that build parks and open space. Up to $25 million would be used to promote tourism after the parks and open space group Great Outdoors Colorado is fully funded.
The casinos keep 87 percent of money spent on gambling, said John Kenny, spokesman for Support Colorado's Economy and Environment.
"They have no financial incentive to participate in this program," he said. "We're looking out for what's best for Colorado, and the casinos are looking out for their own personal greed."
SOURCE:
Aurora Sentinel Online.
