The Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and Ho-Chunk Inc. recently announced they will co-sponsor a petition initiative to place on the 2020 ballot legalizing casinos at the state’s racetracks. The petition drive would require collecting tens of thousands of signatures of registered Nebraska voters, starting next year. If the issue makes it to the ballot and is approved by voters, casino gambling would be allowed at racetracks in Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Columbus, South Sioux City and possibly Hastings.
Officials at Ho-Chunk, the economic development arm of the Winnebago Tribe, said Nebraska residents wager about $500 million on gambling in surrounding states each year. “We believe the revenue should stay in Nebraska,” said Ho-Chunk Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Lance Morgan. He added the petition drive would cost millions of dollars and he already has started seeking sponsors to help finance it. “There’s been lots of interest to partner with us on the petition drive. We’ve had several calls from people who are interested in partnering,” he said.
In 2016, a similar attempt to place the racino issue on the ballot ended up with the state Secretary of State John Gale ruling many signatures were invalid and the drive was 40,000 signatures short. The company managing the petition drive had to circulate three petitions: one to change the state constitution to allow casino gambling, another to establish a casino regulatory agency and a third to spell out how profits would be spent. “That complicated it quite a bit in terms of the signature gathering,” Morgan said.
Last year Ho-Chunk sued Northstar Campaign Systems, the consultant hired to collect signatures for the previous drive, claiming the company knowingly inflated the number of signatures it had collected. That lawsuit is still being litigated, Morgan said.
Morgan commented the new petition’s language will be simpler and include fewer questions. He stated Ho-Chunk and NHBPA plan to finalize the petition language over the winter and begin collecting signatures in 2019. “This shows we don’t give up. We’ve got to get it exactly right,” Morgan said.
He added Ho-Chunk and NHBPA also may include sports betting on the petition, although it would be much less profitable than casino gambling. “I’m all for sports betting, but in the scheme of things it’s a niche in comparison to the casino style gambling,” he said.
In 2016, Ho-Chunk acquired Atokad, a former racetrack in South Sioux City. The track was reopened and renamed Atokad Downs. One race has been run there each year; this year’s race is scheduled for Saturday, September 15.
