The plan, which was announced earlier this month, is a cooperative effort between Charlie Blackmon and MaximBet to encourage Colorado residents to share their insights regarding the Water Plan update.
It’s no secret that pro athletes often partner with gambling companies. But Blackmon may be the first player from MLB to partner with a sports-betting company. He’s also the first to know where the majority of the sports-betting tax revenue goes in Colorado.
As Blackmon stated, “Hey everybody, important reminder from my friends at MaximBet and at Water4Colorado. Taxes from sports betting in Colorado fund Water Plan — projects that protect and conserve rivers, farming and drinking water.”
The longest-tenured player among the Rockieshappens to be someone who loves fishing, particularly fly-fishing. “I want to catch the big fat brown trout,” Blackmon stated.
And where does the excellent hitter want to catch that fish? “Huh, wouldn’t you like to know,” he replied. “I do spend a lot of time in Deckers.”
On the other hand, Doug Terfehr, the Vice President of Marketing for the Carousel Group, stated the organization’s appreciation for the new partnership:
“The guy has got a great look. A very distinct swag and very cool style that is fitting of Maxim and the Maxim brand… Most people in Denver recognize Charlie and understand that Charlie’s primary interests outside of baseball are his family and the outdoors,”
Carousel Group is the parent company of MaximBet which launched its 1st sportsbook app in Colorado last September 2021 and has been growing in popularity since then. This new partnership is sure to garner even more attention for the app and boost its popularity even further.
Brian Jackson, an Environmental Defense Fund worker and one of the major proponents of Proposition DD, shows his support for the movement.
“It was like, ‘Wow, this is a perfect confluence of sports and sports betting and water and rivers with Charlie’.”
“I called them up and said, ‘Hey, whether you thought of it or not, this is an amazing opportunity to make that connection for MaximBet and Charlie Blackmon and Colorado, and a place where you can be the leader in the industry and making that connection.'” Jackson Added
As per Chuck Nazty raising the movement was a no-brainer:
“Responsible gaming and the fact that the taxes from sports betting go to help water conservation were important messages for me to support as part of the partnership,” he says. “MaximBet has been very supportive of those initiatives, which makes talking about it easy.”
More About the Water Plan Update
Colorado lawmakers took a gamble in 2019 when they passed a measure to put sports betting on the ballot. If voters approved, it would not only mean a new source of revenue for the state, but also a dedicated stream of funding for the Colorado Water Plan.
The Colorado River is a vital resource for the state, providing water for drinking, farming, and recreation. However, it is currently in the midst of a severe drought, and the federal government has given an August 15 deadline to come up with a plan to allocate the dwindling resources. Given the current drought conditions, it is more important than ever to pass a proposal that would dedicate funds to water conservation efforts.
On May 1, 2020, Colorado became the 18th state to legalize sports gambling. The state had been debating the measure for several months, and it ultimately passed with only a slim majority. Since then, sports-betting companies have been quick to set up shop in the state. However, the environmental movement has been relatively quiet in the promotion of such companies.
However, Aside from FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and PointsBet, there are no other sportsbook companies who are actively promoting the “Colorado Water Wins” campaign.