Two southern Colorado tribes the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute have renewed their campaign for equal access to the state’s online sports betting market, spotlighting the ongoing tension between tribal sovereignty and state gaming regulation.
Their latest appeal comes after a federal court dismissed their lawsuit challenging the Colorado Division of Gaming’s licensing and taxation requirements. The court ruled that wagers placed off-reservation fall under state jurisdiction, effectively upholding Colorado’s right to regulate and tax online betting. The tribes argue that such rules marginalize their economic opportunities and undermine tribal self-governance.
Compounding the issue is a major gasoline spill near the Animas River, where contaminated groundwater has displaced several tribal residents. The Southern Ute Tribe has accused the state of offering a muted response, claiming that if the spill had occurred in a non-tribal urban area, state-led remediation would have been swifter and more comprehensive.
The tribes emphasize that they have independently funded cleanup efforts without receiving any financial benefit from Colorado’s sports betting revenues, which are primarily earmarked for water conservation.
The dispute mirrors broader national trends, as seen in Florida where the Seminole Tribe secured legal backing for a hub-and-spoke online betting model that honors tribal sovereignty. Colorado’s tribes now aim to revisit compact negotiations, seeking an equitable framework that allows participation in the state’s digital wagering economy while respecting tribal autonomy.
Their renewed push could become a pivotal case study in the evolving intersection of gaming law, sovereignty, and environmental justice.
