Work resuming on Floyd Hill; expect overnight closings

PAGE 7 WEEKLY REGISTER-CALLFebruary 6, 2025

Casinos feel “double whammy” due to of

CDOT I-70, U.S. 6 highway projects

There’s no easy route for

Front Range gamblers to reach

Black Hawk and Central City

these days. If they travel Clear

Creek Canyon (Highway 6) from

Golden, there are regular single-

lane closings between 7 a.m.

and 5 p.m. Mondays through

Fridays.

For those who take I-70 to

the Central City Parkway (Exit

243) or hop off at Exit 244 to

head to Black Hawk, things

aren’t any better. The $700

million Floyd Hill project often

includes temporary traffic halts

or lane restrictions that require

lengthier trips to reach their

favorite casinos.

The concurrent highway

projects are causing a “double

whammy” effect on local casi-

nos, according to Central City

, U.S.Business Improvement

District Executive Director Joe

Behm, who spoke to his board

of directors during a meeting

last week. “We’re up against

a double whammy,” reported

Behm. “There’s not much

anybody can do about this. I do

think they’re (CDOT) is doing a

pretty good job overall.”

Behm, who attends quar-

terly CDOT meetings for local

governments impacted by I-70

construction projects, told the

BID members the westbound

Floyd Hill project won’t be com-

pleted until the end of 2027.

The eastbound work will last

until the end of the following

year, 2028. “There will be ongo-

ing construction until then,” he

noted.

One Central City casino rep-

resentative said the construc-

tion impact is being felt by local

casinos. He commented that the

number of casual, walk-in cus-

tomers without player’s cards

fell 36 percent in December.

Black Hawk, the state’s larg-

est gaming city, also has felt the

impact of the ongoing CDOT

work. After experiencing three

consecutive years of record

revenues from 2022-24, city

leaders forecast a four-percent

revenue decline for 2025,

primarily due to the highway

construction. During the first

six months of the current state

fiscal gaming year, which began

July 1, Black Hawk’s casinos

have reported a collective

0.31-percent decline in revenues

or about $1.344 million less

than a year ago.

Central casinos rise

After watching casino rev-

enues mostly plunge during

the past two years, Central City

got a spoonful of good news in

December. According to state

gaming revenue reports, the

city’s six casinos reported a 0.76

percent increase in AGP – or

$47,938 – during the holidays.

AGP is the industry term for

Adjusted Gross Proceeds, the

amount of money wagered by

players less the amounts paid to

winners.

The city’s AGP has been in a

two-year freefall, with revenues

declining by 7.37 percent, or

$453,927, during the first four

months of the state’s fiscal gam-

ing season, which began July

1. Last year, Central was the

only one of the three Colorado

gaming cities to experience fall-

ing revenues. According to the

state, Central’s AGP declined by

2.93 percent during the 2023-

24 state fiscal year, representing

a $1.069 million loss from the

previous year.

Despite the December bump,

Central’s AGP fell 3.29 percent,

or $1.32 million, for the first six

months of the current gam-

ing year compared to the same

period one year earlier.

Central’s casino figures for

January will be reported late

this month. According to those

familiar with the local gaming

industry, snowstorms, which

tend to keep patrons from visit-

ing casinos, and the closing of

Century Casino’s blackjack table

games room are anticipated to

result in another decline.

The 15 casinos in Black Hawk

reported a scant 0.01 percent

decline, a loss of $5,524, during

December. For the current state

fiscal gaming year, the city’s

casinos are off by 0.31 percent

($1.344 million) compared to

one year earlier.

According to state figures,

Black Hawk still contributes 89

percent of the state-collected

gaming taxes in Colorado,

Teller County’s Cripple Creek

continued its AGP winning

streak in December, reporting

a 15.75 percent gain in AGP

($2.138 million). During the

first six months of the state’s

current fiscal year, Cripple

Creek’s AGP increased by 13.86

percent, or $11.712 million,

compared to last year.

While Cripple Creek’s

fortunes have improved, the

southern Colorado community

accounts for only about 7.85

percent of state-collected gam-

ing taxes. The number is larger

than the 3.15 percent generated

by Central City but is one-elev-

enth the size of Black Hawk.

During December, statewide

AGP rose by 2.35 percent, led

by Cripple Creek’s 15.75 percent

increase ($2.138 million) and

Central’s 0.76 percent jump.

Black Hawk’s .01-percent

decline barely moved the state’s

overall AGP-revenue figure.

Revenues began to increase

slightly more than a year ago

when the 300-room Chamonix

luxury hotel, spa and casino

opened along East Bennett

Avenue, next to Bronco Billy’s

casino. While industry observ-

ers say the Chamonix is the top

attraction in Cripple Creek, it’s

still smaller than accommoda-

tions offered by Black Hawk’s

Ameristar and Monarch casinos.

An unidentified patron placed

a $50 bet and won a $1.085

million jackpot at a Dragon Link

at the Monarch Casino Resort

Spa on Jan. 23. “We are thrilled

to celebrate monumental wins

like this with our guests,” said

Erica Ferris, director of market-

ing for Monarch Casino Resort

Spa. “Jackpots like these are

extremely rare, and to see one

happen, our gaming floor was

quite the spectacle.”

According to reports, it was

the first $1 million slot payout

in the Monarch’s 12-year his-

tory.

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Daddy Daughter Dance & Dive

Saturday, February 8, 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Gilpin County Community Center

Art Exhibit: Dave Aldridge, “As I See It”

February 8 through March 29

Gilpin County Public Library

Family Movie Matinee: Sonic 3

Friday, February 14, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Gilpin County Public Library

Oscar Movie Preview “Wicked”

Saturday, February 15, 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Gilpin County Public Library

Interested in having your event listed? Email: mbleyler@gilpincounty.org

Paid for by the Gilpin Advertising Panel (GAP)

Central’s Belvidere Founda-

tion will hold a Valentine’s

Dance beginning at 7 p.m. on

Friday, Feb. 14, at the Central

City Elks Lodge No. 557, 113

Main St.

There are no cover or

admission charges, although

donations to the Belvidere

Foundation are appreciated.

Eric Chinn will be the dee-

jay for the event. Singles are

welcome and encouraged to

attend, too.

Fire Forest, a film by Evan

Barrientos, will return to Timber-

line Fire Protection District this

weekend following a capacity

crowd at its January screening.

Experts from TFPD, Gilpin

CSU Extension, Gilpin County

Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Forest

Service-Arapaho & Roosevelt

Natl Forests Pawnee Natl

Grassland, Colorado State Forest

Service, Clear Creek Watershed

& Forest Health Partnership and

others for the free documentary

screening and discussion.

Fire Forest details how pre-

scribed burns and forest resto-

ration treatments helped avert

potential disaster during the 2020

Cameron Peak Fire, the larg-

est wildfire in Colorado history.

Following the film, a discussion

with local experts will touch on

wildfire preparedness and evacu-

ation, forest health, mitigation,

and safety as it pertains to Gilpin

County residents.

The screening will begin at

1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8, at

TPFD Station No. 3 (Fritz Peak),

19126 Highway 119. Popcorn,

snacks and drinks will be pro-

vided. Advance reservations are

recommended and can be make

via tinyurl.com/3pnrp9ty.

Gilpin County Republican

Committee will meet at 7 p.m.

tonight (Thursday, Feb. 6)

in the Gilpin Public Library,

15131 Highway 119 in mid-

county. Upcoming meetings

and events will be discussed

at the session.

Daddy-Daughter Dance

Gilpin Community Center

will host its Daddy-Daughter

Dance & Dive from 5:30 to 8

p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8, in

the rec center, 250 Norton

Drive. Admission is $45 per

couple and $10 per additional

person. For information, call

the rec center at 303-582-

1453.

Friends of Gilpin Commu-

nity Center also has financial

assistance available for those

who need a helping hand. In-

formation is available online.

Coal Creek Canyon Im-

provement Association will

hold its Valentine Pancake

Breakfast event from 7 to 11

a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15, at

the CCCIA Hall, 31528 High-

way 72 in Coal Creek Canyon.

Admission is $11 for mem-

bers, $13 for non-members

and $6 for children. Proceeds

from the event will go toward

the Coal Creek Canyon schol-

arship fund.

For information, visit Coal-

CreekCanyon.org or email

CCCIA80403@gmail.com.

Several annual festival dates

have been set for this summer

in Central City.

The annual Madam Lou

Bunch Day, including bed

races, will be on Saturday,

June 14. Stills will follow it in

the Hills on June 28 and the

Great Central City Beer Fest

on Aug. 23. The events will be

held on Main Street, which

will be closed to vehicular

traffic.

In addition, Central City

Opera’s summer season will

begin on Saturday, June 28,

featuring “The Barber of

Neighboring Black Hawk

will hold its third Founders’

Day celebration on June 28 in

Gregory Plaza.

In recognition of Presidents’

Day, Gilpin County offices

— including the Community

Center — will be closed on

Monday, Feb. 17. The Trans-

fer Station will be closed on

Sunday, Feb. 16.

Black Hawk’s city offices

also will be closed on Presi-

dents’ Day.

Gilpin Community Center

will host a three-day life-

guard training course from

March 28 to 30. The program

includes American Red Cross-

certified training from 4 to 8

p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 5

p.m. on Saturday and Sun-

day. Some of the classes will

be conducted online, and the

remainder will take place in

the pool.

Participants must be able to

swim 300 meters non-stop,

tread water for two minutes

and retrieve a brick from the

bottom of the pool. The class

includes training in AED,

CPR, First Aid and Lifeguard-

ing.

Those wishing to attend

must be 15 (for those not

seeking employment) or 16

(for those seeking to be hired

as lifeguards). The class fee is

$100 for residents and $120

for non-residents. The fee will

be reimbursed for those hired.

For information, visit Gilpin

Community Center online or

call 303-582-1453.

Work resuming on Floyd Hill; expect overnight closings

Patrick Henry Sweeney

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