Scott Gessler's Recommendation on Amendment P

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

(Amendment P - Games of Chance)

by Scott Gessler, GOP Candidate for Secretary of State

This November the state legislature will ask Colorado voters to transfer bingo and raffle licensing from the Colorado Secretary of State's office to the Department of Revenue. Although I deeply respect friends and colleagues who have proposed this change, the transfer is a bad idea.

The old adage applies here - if it ain't broke, don't fix it. There is widespread agreement that the current arrangement works well. For many years, the Secretary of State's office has done a good job regulating bingos and raffles. Fees are low. Corruption is nonexistent. Customer service is good. And as an elected official, the Secretary is responsive and accountable.

In short, history has shown that over 50 years ago Colorado's voters made a good choice when they made the Secretary responsible for bingo and raffle licensing.

Against this a proven track record of success, proponents argue bureaucratic efficiency. They claim that the Department of Revenue is a better suited, because it already regulates other forms of gambling. But even the strongest supporters of this transfer admit that there are absolutely no cost savings.

There are, however, significant downsides. Bingos and raffles are non-profit activities, and the Secretary already regulates charities. In my view, the Secretary has a unique role in supporting Colorado's nonprofit community, and that mission includes competent administration of bingo and raffle licensing.

Unlike the Secretary's office, the Department of Revenue has one, primary goal - to extract revenue. Over time, nonprofits will be seen as merely another source of revenue, just like other gambling operations. And it doesn't matter that for the moment, the same people under the Secretary will move to Revenue. Over time, new people will take their places. The new hires will, first and foremost, be revenue officers - not compliance officers from an agency dedicated to supporting nonprofits.

Finally, there is the issue of accountability. Why, exactly, has bingo and raffle licensing worked so well under the Secretary of State? Because the Secretary is an elected official, directly accountable to voters. We should keep it this way. And if voters reject the proposed transfer, the Secretary of State should remain accountable to, and supportive of, Colorado's nonprofit community.

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