Petition Could Put Casino Gambling On The Ballot In Nebraska In 2020If Passed, States With Commercial Casinos Would Become A Majority In U.S. |
|
Supporters of commercial casinos in Nebraska have put together a petition that could bring casinos to the state and move the number of states that permit commercial gaming into the majority, according to a report from the Associated Press.
The petition, if passed, would put the issue on the ballot in 2020 and let the voters decide if casino gaming is right for Nebraska. The petition is gaining traction thanks to financial support from the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.
Currently, there are 25 states that allow commercial casino gaming, including many in states that border Nebraska. Proponents of the petition want to keep the money being spent in the state, as opposed to letting Nebraskans travel beyond state borders to gamble.
“Hundreds of millions of dollars go across the border every year,” Lance Morgan, CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc., told the AP. “For a Nebraskan to do gaming, you have to go half a mile. It’s the height of paternalism to try to restrict it.”
Morgan is ‘confident’ that if the petition is passed, voters will pass the measure and casinos will be legal in a majority of states.
This has been tried and failed before. This same petition was used in 2016 and was squashed by the government. Needing only 117,188 signatures, the petition garnered between 120,000 and 130,000, but officials rejected 42,000 of those signatures.
Historically, the Nebraskan government has been against the expansion of gaming. Last year, a former Nebraska attorney general said that legal online poker violates sates’ rights.
Tribal casinos are legal in Nebraska but are restricted to bingo and card games that aren’t backed by the casino. Commercial casinos would allow gamblers to wager on slot machines, blackjack, craps, roulette, and other traditional casino games.
The difference between this petition and the last failed attempt is that the supporters have changed the ballot measure. Now, the ballot measure can ‘withstand a court challenge’ and will require multiple petitions. One for a constitutional amendment to allow casino gambling and two more for law changes for regulation and taxation purposes.
“We’ve learned from our mistakes in the past,” said Bob Moser, president of the Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. “We have a really good plan and great partners, and we’re very optimistic about our chances this time.”
Copyright © 2001-2024
CardPlayer.com. All rights reserved.
