Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon has a message for Colorado sports bettors: Your gambling tax dollars aren’t going to waste.
On Jul. 6, the baseball player – a partner with MaximBet – took to Twitter for his PSA and tweeted:
“Hey everybody, important reminder from my friends @maximbetusa and @water4colorado. Taxes from sports betting fund CO’s Water Plan – projects that protect and conserve rivers, farming & drinking water. Go to engagecwcb.org to share what you think should be in the plan!”
Take one look at Blackmon’s Instagram and it’s clear why the Rockies star is advocating for the tax incentive behind the Colorado sports betting industry. He’s an avid outdoorsman who loves to fish – specifically for trout.
He’s also posted photos of himself catching marlin, tarpon, mahimahi, and other saltwater fish. Out of his Colorado teammates, he’s the biggest fisher.
“We did a group trip out on the South Platte,” he told Fly Lords Mag in 2019. “Everyone enjoyed it a lot and caught fish. But no one really likes fly fishing as I do, most of the guys spend the weekends golfing.”
Colorado sports betting taxes raised $14.7 million for Water Plan
Colorado legalized sports betting in November 2019, and in turn, approved Proposition DD. This is the Legalize Sports Betting with Tax Revenue for Water Projects Measure.
This measure created a 10% tax on sports betting profits, but in December 2019, the Department of Revenue said that it could potentially take until the 2021-22 fiscal year before enough tax revenue came in for the water plan to benefit.
Fast forward to 2021, when sports betting taxes raised $11.7 million for water, according to Water for Colorado’s website. It’s generated $14.7 million since 2020.
The site states that “up to 93%” of tax revenue from casinos will go to fund the implementation of Colorado’s Water Plan.
The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) funds projects that advance the Colorado Water Plan by utilizing revenue from various sources including:
- Sports betting taxes
- Revolving loan fund principal and interest
- State treasury interest
- Federal Mineral Lease Revenue
- Service tax revenue
Examples of CWCB grant projects include:
- New water storage
- Raw water supply
- Planning
- Water conservation
- Agricultural projects such as:
- Collaborative water sharing agreements
- Watershed and recreation project
- Water education and innovation
These can range from long-term conservation strategy to education and developing additional storage.
The Blackmon and MaximBet sports betting partnership
Blackmon and MaximBet made history in April this year when the Rockies player announced the partnership, making him the first active MLB player with a sportsbook endorsement.
Blackmon said in a release at the time of the announcement:
“As I learned more about MaximBet, I knew this absolutely was the right brand for me. MaximBet has really attached itself to the local Colorado community, and I cannot wait to have some fun with MaximBet and surprising fans with incredible ‘money can’t buy’ experiences all season.”
Blackmon is in his 12th Major League Baseball season, spending his entire playing career with Colorado. He’s a four-time all-star, most recently in 2019. He was an all-star in three-straight seasons from 2017-2019.
He owns a .298 batting average for his career and has hit 207 home runs during his time with the Rockies. Arguably Blackmon’s best season came in 2017 when he led the MLB with 213 hits, 14 triples, and a .331 batting average.
