After previous unsuccessful attempts, casino proponents have renewed their effort to bring commercial Las Vegas-style gambling to Nebraska. The state currently permits tribal casinos, but these are only allowed to offer bingo and card games in which the house has no stake in the outcome, such as poker.
Supporters of the idea to bring commercial casinos have started a petition drive to tack the issue onto the 2020 ballot. The effort is financially backed by Ho-Chunk Inc., the Economic Development Corporation of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.
As mentioned above, proponents of commercial casino gambling previously made several attempts to bring Las Vegas-style casinos to the state, but all those were rejected by opponents of the idea. The matter appeared in the 2004 and 2006 ballot, but was voted down by voters. In 2014, another casino effort was ruled unconstitutional by the Nebraska Supreme Court and did not make it to the ballot.
However, things could be different this time around as public support for different forms of gambling, including casinos, has grown in recent years.
Aside from tribal casinos with limited gaming options, Nebraska currently offers keno, horse racing, and lottery games. While the casino gambling debate seems to have been revived, there have also been suggestions that the state should probably jump on the sports betting bandwagon. However, with lawmakers traditionally being opposed to gambling expansion, the legalization of wagering on sports could be a long shot.
Legalizing Casinos
As mentioned earlier, the rekindled commercial casino debate is being supported by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and its economic development entity. According to Lance Morgan, CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc., it is “the height of paternalism” to try to restrict casinos.
Mr. Morgan added that “hundreds of millions of dollars go across the board every year”, referring to the fact that a number of Nebraska’s neighboring states are currently offering Las Vegas-style gaming options, including Iowa, which recently legalized sports gambling, as well.
Mr. Morgan expressed confidence that voters will approve the casino measure if it goes on the ballot, arguing that Ho-Chunk’s internal polling has shown strong support for the issue.
Proponents of the effort say they have learnt from their previous mistakes and have changed the ballot measure to make sure that it would appeal both to legislators and voters and would withstand a possible court challenge.
The renewed campaign will see three petitions – one for a constitutional amendment that would allow casino gambling at Nebraska’s licensed horse race tracks, as well as two petitions for the regulation and taxation of casino-style games.
The Supreme Court rejected a previous effort because it combined all those issues and forced voters to give a single answer to multiple important questions.
Commenting on the latest attempt to legalize commercial casinos, Bob Moser, President of Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, told media that they have “a really good plan and great partners, and we’re very optimistic about our chances this time.”
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