Just How Bad is the Sportsbook Situation in Colorado.... Maine Says Milton Has Fostered a Toxic Workplace

• The number of sportsbooks that have shut down in Colorado alone is shocking.
• Maine has crisis of confidence in its gambling unit leader, one who last year found received a suspension for a tweet referring to a woman as a "bitch" while also supporting a white supremacy post.

Gambling News

This is How Bad the Sportsbook Situation is in Colorado

Gaming industry reporter Ryan Butler offered up a list of Colorado-licensed sportsbook apps that have come and mostly gone.

This week we reported on how yet another sportsbook in the state is shuttering.

BetSafe opted to close down just as the 2024 college football season is getting underway.  How's that for timing.

The company issued this notice to customers on Saturday:

Dear BetSafe customers,

Please be advised that Colorado BetSafe sportsbook mobile app will permanently close on September 30, 2024.

Registrations and deposits will not be accepted after September 6, 2024 and new bets cannot be placed after September 16, 2024.

You will need to withdraw all your funds by September 27, 2024.  All accounts will be closed on September 30, 2024.

If you have any questions, please contact customer service."

Gambling News

Maine Says Head of Gambling Unit Has Fostered a Toxic Workplace

We kind of knew this would not end well.

It was back in May of last year that Maine's Control Unit Executive Director Milton Champion found himself in hot water over tweets he  posted containing sexist language and racist connotations.

His behavior was so bad, we featured Champion in our Clown Files.

It's one thing for the head of the Maine Gambling Control Unit to refer to women as "bitches".  That's pretty bad by itself.  But apparently that wasn't enough.  Let's defend a known white supremacist group while we're at it while offering up a racially insensitive remark to boot. 

Milt Champion, the Gambling Control Unit’s executive director, was placed on paid on May 17 in the wake of tweets he posted containing sexist language and racist connotations, just in May alone.

On July 7, 2023, Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck finally announced the punishment: A five day suspension without pay and he must undergo training on workplace harassment and social media apologies.

Fast forward to today and Maine casino inspectors have voted no confidence in Champion as head of gambling unit.

You don't say.

They say Milton Champion has fostered a toxic workplace, refused to negotiate with their union and circumvented the Maine Gambling Control Board.

The union said all nine casino inspectors that work for the state signed a letter they submitted. The letter isn’t addressed to anyone in particular and Champion hasn't responded to the allegations when approached by the Press Herald.

“We must make it known that Milton Champion has repeatedly shown a lack of respect for our legal rights and processes spelled out in our union contract, has retaliated against us individually and as a group, and has created a deeply dysfunctional and toxic workplace environment,” the letter states.

And you thought the situation in Indiana was bad, did you?

Watch this space closely.