The Southern Ute Indian Tribe opened the Sky Ute Casino & Lodge near Ignacio, 25 miles southeast of Durango, in September 1993. The casino is located near Towaoc, 10 miles south of Cortez. The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe was the first to open an Indian gaming establishment, the Ute Mountain Casino, in September 1992. The tribal casinos may offer live keno in addition to slot machines, poker, blackjack, craps and roulette. The tribes have agreed to conduct limited gaming with the same $100 bet limits that other casinos in Colorado adhere to, but a provision in the compacts allows the tribes to litigate possible higher stakes and increased scope of games. The two tribes, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, are not subject to taxation and are not required to report their revenues to the State.
The State of Colorado has entered into compacts with two Indian tribes in southwest Colorado to conduct casino-style gaming on their reservation land.
