Video gambling foes seek criminal probe

Steven K. Paulson

Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2003 | 9:21 a.m.

DENVER -- Opponents of a ballot measure that would allow video lottery terminals at racetracks called Monday for a criminal investigation of its London-based supporters to determine if campaign laws were violated.

Wembley PLC, the parent of a company that owns four of five tracks in Colorado, may have violated laws when it filed its recent campaign finance reports, two lawmakers said.

Wembley PLC also owns Lincoln Park in Rhode Island.

Colorado laws require ballot issue committees to report all campaign contributions and prohibit them from giving money to one individual or company with the understanding that the funds will be passed along to a campaign.

Wembley PLC has been sending checks from its London headquarters to Wembley USA executives in Colorado to be used for the campaign, Senate Minority Leader Joan Fitz-Gerald, D-Golden, and Rep. Rob Fairbank, R-Littleton, charged.

Wembley spokeswoman Lynea Hansen, who also represents the pro-initiative campaign, said the company has never tried to hide its support for the Nov. 4 ballot measure.

She countered that the opponents' call for an investigation is actually an attempt to convince state officials to use taxpayer dollars to defeat the initiative.

"In this day and age when the state of Colorado is cutting programs right and left, it is irresponsible for the senator to ask the state to investigate a company without an allegation or any evidence of wrongdoing," she said.

The legislators asked Attorney General Ken Salazar and Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter, who serves the Capitol district, to investigate their allegations.

Representatives of both men said they would review it before deciding whether to launch a formal investigation.

Wembley Colorado has spent $800,000 and committed up to $10 million to promote the initiative.

Under Amendment 33, the Colorado Lottery Commission would be allowed to install 500 video lottery terminals at each track and in the gambling towns of Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek. It would be limited only to currently licensed tracks.

The terminals resemble slot machines, offering a game of chance similar to lottery scratch ticket games sold in retail stores.