By admin 
Groups funded by some of the nation’s largest sports betting companies have spent about $1.5 million in Colorado’s statehouse primaries this year, the majority of it on Democratic contests.
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It’s unclear exactly why.
The state-level super PAC American Future has spent roughly $1.25 million alone on Democratic legislative primaries in Colorado. It’s funded by a federal super PAC of the same name that has received millions of dollars from the sportsbooks DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics.
On the GOP side, $250,000 in federal PAC money originating from DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics has flowed into a state group called the Colorado Conservative Leadership Fund, which is helping more mainstream Republicans beat their more hard-line GOP opponents.
The New York Times reports the three companies are planning to spend as much as $41 million on state legislative races across the country this year. The Times reports that money is aimed at limiting taxation and regulation of sports betting.
“These organizations seek candidates who will thoughtfully approach regulation and ensure legal sports betting can continue to support communities through billions in tax revenue and jobs across America,” a spokesperson for the coalition told Axios.
Voters allowed sports betting in Colorado and approved an associated taxation scheme that primarily raises money for water projects by passing ballot measures in the 2019 and 2024 elections.
This year, Colorado’s legislature passed a bill prohibiting online sportsbooks from sending push notifications or text messages encouraging bets or deposits, banning the use of credit cards to fund sports betting accounts, and limiting bettors to six deposits per day. It also prohibits sportsbooks from targeting people under age 21 with advertising and requires operators to share betting data with the state.
The measure, Senate Bill 131, also would have banned so-called prop bets, which are wagers on things like individual player performance, before that provision was stripped out.
But the money American Future is spending on Democratic statehouse primaries doesn’t appear to be in response to that new law.
The dollars are being spent primarily on open contests, where there is no incumbent. In the few races with incumbents that American Future is spending on, the PAC is in some contests supporting and in other cases opposing state lawmakers who voted “yes” on Senate Bill 131.
In a handful of primaries, American Future is spending money for Democratic legislative candidates who don’t even have a primary challenger.
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The American Future state PAC in Colorado is registered to a coworking space in Dallas. Its only listed contact is a campaign finance compliance expert who leads a firm based in Washington, D.C.
Sen. Matt Ball, a Denver Democrat who was a lead sponsor of Senate Bill 131, said he’s confused by the spending. His best guess is that it’s being used to build goodwill.
“It’s strange,” said Ball, who hasn’t had any American Future money spent for or against him. “I’m a little perplexed.”
Here are the Democratic state Senate primaries American Future is targeting:
- State Sen. Adrienne Benavidez, a Commerce City Democrat who voted “yes” on Senate Bill 131. She is facing a primary challenge from schoolteacher Alex Ryckman.
- State Sen. William Lindstedt, a Broomfield Democrat who voted “yes” on Senate Bill 131. He’s running unopposed in the primary and running in a district that’s not considered competitive in the general election.
- Andrés Carrera, a Denver Democrat who is running to represent Senate District 34. He faces Chela Garcia Irlando in the June 30 primary.
Here are the Democratic state House primaries American Future is targeting:
- Democratic strategist Justine Sandoval, who is running to represent House District 5 in Denver and has been endorsed by the Working Families Party. She faces Sterling Simms, a Marine veteran and policy strategist, in the primary.
- Democrat Sarah Woodson, who works in the cannabis industry and is trying to unseat state Rep. Mandy Lindsay of Aurora. Lindsay voted “yes” on Senate Bill 131.
- Democrat Chris Floyd of Leadville, a lawyer who is running against Consuelo Redhorse in the House District 13 primary.
- Democrat Alexis Hoffkling, a doctor who is running unopposed in House District 23. Hoffkling is running unopposed in the primary and general elections in the Jefferson County district.
- Democrat Gena Ozols, an organizer and small business owner in Englewood who is backed by the Working Families Party. She is running unopposed in House District 3 primary in a district that’s not considered competitive in the November general election.
- Democrat Danielle Varda, a former member of the Jeffco Board of Education who is running unopposed in the House District 27 primary. The Arvada-area district is not considered competitive in the general election.
- Broomfield City Councilwoman Heidi Henkel, a Democrat who is running in the primary to unseat state Rep. Kenny Van Nguyen in House District 33. Nguyen voted “yes” on Senate Bill 131.
- State Rep. Michael Carter, an Aurora Democrat who voted “yes” on Senate Bill 131. He’s running unopposed in the Democratic primary in House District 36, which is not considered competitive in the November election.
Ozols said on social media that she was confounded by the American Future spending to support her campaign. But she blasted the group for using her name in its efforts to collect voter information.
“While I’m not inherently for or against online gaming, I AM very much against the use of my name to build someone’s email list and against the lack of transparency in campaign finance overall,” she wrote.
Sandoval posted a video on Facebook saying she’s heard from voters confused about the mailers and ads they’ve been seeing about her from American Future.
“None of that is authorized by my campaign,” she said. “Although the commercials are kind of rad, and I love that my family is reaching out to me, I need to make people aware that is not us. I had no idea that these people were going to send out this stuff on my behalf.”
The sportsbook money being routed through the Colorado Conservative Leadership Fund is harder to track. Only a portion of the group’s funding has come from DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics, so it’s unclear which races exactly those dollars are being spent on.
The Colorado Conservative Leadership Fund is working to help people like former state Rep. Terri Carver of Colorado Springs unseat state Sen. Lynda Zamora Wilson in the Republican primary in Senate District 9. It’s also defending state Rep. Anthony Hartsook of Parker against a GOP primary challenge from former police officer Bob Davis in House District 44.
The primary election will be held June 30. Ballots must be turned in to county clerks by 7 p.m. on that day to be counted.
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