Colorado voters will decide in November whether Cripple Creek, Central City and Black Hawk should be allowed to vote on approving new betting limits and more games in their respective jurisdiction.

Any windfall in tax revenue from a change would support community colleges, which supporters of the measure note are struggling, like other institutions, in the pandemic.

Colorado has a $100 limit on bets in the three mountain towns that are allowed to offer casinos. The ballot questions would give local voters the authority to decide a change, instead of voters statewide.

Initiative 257 got more than the required 124,632 signatures from Colorado registered voters to qualify for the ballot.

“If these mountain communities want to increase travel and tourism, they should be allowed to do so as they are the ones most directly impacted,” former Colorado state Senate president Bill Cadman, who backs the ballot question, said in a statement Thursday evening.

“The modest boost in revenue would be a win-win for businesses and employees in these towns, as well the community colleges that will receive more resources to help students obtain a college degree.”

Bruce Brown, the former mayor of Cripple Creek, said the increase could help communities hurt by the recession as well.

“The pandemic and economic shutdown have financially gutted our towns because our local economies are built around hotels, restaurants and tourists who visit because of gaming,” he said in statement released by fellow proponents. “This measure won’t change things overnight, but it is an important start and could help us get back on our feet.”