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The Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Tribes have lost their sports betting lawsuit against the State of Colorado. As with other tribes across the US, the Ute tribes are concerned about the rise of online sports wagering in their state. However, this time the judge threw the case out.
According to the tribes, sports wagering was not being managed properly. The tribes wanted wagering that happened within their sportsbook and processed on their grounds to be brought under Indian gaming rules. That means not paying the 10% tax that was introduced in 2019 with Proposition DD, when the federal government handed over the responsibility to states on gambling laws.
CPR News reports that the Ute tribes’ case was ultimately tossed from court, as Judge Gordon Gallagher ruled that “gaming occurs where the bettor is located.” As such, even if the Ute tribes run the sportsbook online, regardless of it is processed on their land or not, they are not exempt from taxation.
Judge Gallagher said in the published decision:
“This Court finds that the gaming occurs where the bettor is located — in this context, the location of the bettor is the only determining factor for whether gaming is on Indian land.
“If the bettor is on Indian land, the gaming activity is on Indian land and (the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act) applies. If the bettor is off Indian land, e.g., in Denver, the bettor is not engaged in gaming on Indian land and IGRA does not apply.”
Judge finds tech causes issues with 40-year-old Ute Tribes sports betting law
In a further explanation, Judge Gallagher determined that the nature of the technology advancements has collided with a 40-year-old law that can easily be interpreted wrong. Gallagher adds:
“While not without its definitional hurdles, a retrospective look back to when IGRA was enacted in 1988 shows a simpler technological time when both the gambler and the game, e.g., a roulette wheel, were likely in the same place at the same time.
“If the gambler and roulette wheel were on Indian land, IGRA applied. However, in 2025, a gambler can be in Denver and the electronic game processed through a computer server on Southern Ute Indian Tribe land or Ute Mountain Ute Tribe land. Where then does the gaming occur?”
Featured image: Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Tribes
The post Judge kills Colorado’s Ute Tribes sports betting lawsuit appeared first on ReadWrite.

A grand jury has returned an indictment against five individuals who were apprehended at an FBI raid on a horse track.
The location was Wilder’s La Catedral Arena, a popular Idaho venue for horseracing enthusiasts, and had been subject to an FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) investigation.
FBI and DHS raid Wilder La Catedral Arena in Idaho
According to coverage from the Idaho Statesman, the raid on La Catedral has divided the local community and led to tension among protestors, which was described by the attending authorities as an illegal horse gambling operation.
The FBI and DHS arrested five individuals at the time of the raid, and they were charged in relation to the prohibition of illegal gambling business.
The action would comprise “approximately 200 law enforcement personnel from federal, state, and local agencies, targeting an illegal gambling operation in Wilder, Idaho,” said the FBI.
Those arrested and charged included Ivan Tellez, 37, Samuel Bejarano Colin, 37, Dayana Fajardo, 39, Alejandro Torres Estrada, 56, and Cesar Iniguez Orozco, 45.
As we reported, the raid caused public outcry and was criticized heavily for excessive force, including reports of zip tied individuals and rubber bullets being fired near children.
“Reports suggesting young children were zip-tied or hit with rubber bullets during the October 19 FBI-led operation in Wilder are completely false,” said the communication from the FBI.
FBI and local authority press event cancelled
Robert Bohls, special agent in charge, and Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue were due to hold a press conference, but decided not to go forward with the process.
Reports also suggested protesting crowds had gathered at the location for the press event and could have had an impact on the event being cancelled, according to the Idaho-based news outlet.
“ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division was present as part of the broader federal team to process individuals who were found to have potential immigration violations during the course of the investigation.”
A spokesperson for the FBI, Sandra Barker, added via email to further the depth of the role of DHS and FBI agents attending La Caldera.
“Their presence,” said Brown, “was limited to that specific federal responsibility and was separate from the criminal gambling investigation being led by the FBI.”
What is evident is that there are serious charges as a result of the arrests, which include charges of transmission of wagering information to Bejarano Colin and Tellez.
According to the Idaho news provider, Bejarano Colin was the La Caldera bookmaker and administrator, and Tellez owned the land. The FBI has disputed Tellez’s license to operate a bookmaking operation at the location.
Featured image: Canyon County Sheriff Department
The post Idaho FBI raid leads to grand jury indictment of five in gambling case appeared first on ReadWrite.