Nebraska measure could tip the number of states with casinos

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska voters may decide next year whether to legalize casino gambling in a ballot measure that could tip the number of states that allow commercial gambling into the majority.

Supporters of legalized casinos have launched a petition drive to place the issue on the 2020 ballot with financial backing from the economic development corporation owned by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.

Twenty-five states — including neighboring Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and South Dakota — allow commercial casino gambling with games such as slot machines, craps and roulette wheels, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Iowa casinos near Omaha, in particular, cater to Nebraska residents looking to gamble.

"Hundreds of millions of dollars go across the border every year," said Lance Morgan, the CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc., the corporation pushing the measure on the tribe's behalf. "For a Nebraskan to do gaming, you have to go half a mile. It's the height of paternalism to try to try to restrict it."

Read more: https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska-measure-could-tip-the-number-of-states-with-casinos/article_8f08b10b-baea-5e2c-8907-6bc56cec1cb9.html