Colorado casinos reap jackpot in July, fiscal '06

Colorado's mountain casinos posted record revenue in July, according to figures released Thursday by the Colorado Division of Gaming.

The Gaming Division also announced that Colorado's limited-stakes gaming industry distributed a record $100.1 million in taxes for historic preservation and state and local governments in fiscal year 2006, which ended June 30.

The distribution beat the previous high from last year when the industry generated $92.9 million, said Gaming Division spokesman Don Burmania. Since gaming started in 1991, $969.7 million in gaming taxes have been distributed.

Expenses for the division and the Limited Gaming Control Commission, which regulates the industry, totaled $8.7 million in fiscal 2006.

Half the gaming-tax distribution goes to the state's general fund, 28 percent goes to the state's historical fund and the rest goes to the cities and counties where limited-stakes gaming is legal.

The state's 47 mountain casinos operate in Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek.

In July, Colorado's casinos posted adjusted gross proceeds -- total wagers minus payouts -- of $74.3 million, a 6 percent increase from the same month a year ago. The monthly revenue is the highest ever for the industry, beating the previous record of $70 million posted in July 2005.

Black Hawk's 21 casinos posted revenue of $51.3 million, Cripple Creek's 19 casinos had $15.3 million and Central City's seven casinos had $7.7 million.