Farmers Come Out in Support of Proposition DD in Colorado

Colorado’s Prop DD Gains Support from Agriculture Community

By Lisa Spencer Senior Editor Updated: 04 September 2019

Lisa Spencer Senior Editor

As a Senior Editor at Betting.US, Lisa Spencer is a valuable member of our expert team. With a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics, Lisa is adept in gambling theory and analyzing odds. She contributes by writing online sportsbook reviews and finding competitive markets to help our readers make an informed choice.

See Full Bio

Follow The… Water?

If you’re wondering why farmers and ranchers from Colorado have been getting behind a bill to legalize sports betting – then here the answer: it all comes down to one thing, water.

Policymakers in Colorado have decided to use taxation revenue from sports betting to help fill the $100 million shortfall in the state’s water plan. For example, in Colorado alone, there are more than 34,000 ranches and farms – and collectively these businesses employ more than 175,000 workers. Agriculture also contributes more than $40 billion in yearly economic activity – so it’s not hard to see why an improvement to farming facilities would be of big benefit to the farming communities.

Terry Fankhauser – a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association – said the other day:

“Proposition DD will contribute to the development of additional storage and improve irrigation efficiency so that the agricultural industry has the water needed to thrive in Colorado.”

However, it’s worth pointing out that even if the sports betting proposition is approved, it won’t fully solve the state’s water problems. At best, the sports betting industry is estimated to contribute $20 million per year to the state’s coffers. Still, that amount of money will go a long way to helping fill the $100m void needed to complete the ambitious water projects in the pipeline.

Lots of Opposition

Despite having the backing of most farmers and ranchers in Colorado, the proposition does have a large number of critics – and many are worried that the bill, if approved, will pave the way for higher taxes in the future. Some environmental groups have also come forward to oppose the bill – which is especially rare given that the Democrats have, generally speaking, been quite liberal towards the idea of loosening the rules and regulations surrounding sports betting.

According to Gary Wockner – the director of Save the Colarado and Coloradans for Climate Justice – Prop DD is a ‘climate-denying, river-destroying scheme’. He continues to say that he feels as though Colorado is trying to climb its way out of climate change by building a dam. While his comments haven’t yet garnered too much attention, it’s likely that we’ll see various environmental groups campaigning heavily around the time of the ballot – and whether they’ll have an impact on voters remains to be seen.

Still, it should also be noted that there are plenty of pro-gambling companies lobbying for the bill, too. Online gambling operators who are looking to penetrate the US market have been keeping a close eye on the situation, and they believe that if this initial bill was to pass, there would be a strong chance of online gambling becoming legalized in the state later down the line.