The political group Keep the Money in Nebraska is collecting signatures to place on the November ballot the question: Should slot machines and other casino games be legal in Nebraska?
The group’s spokesman, Mike Newlin, chief executive officer at Omaha Exposition and Racing and general manager at Horsemen’s Park, said many Nebraskans are crossing the Missouri River to gamble in Iowa. “$8.8 billion has been wagered by Nebraska residents at the Iowa casinos over the past 25 years. That’s a lot of money leaving the state,” Newlin said.
Actually the political committee is collecting signatures on three separate ballot issues. The first issue is a constitutional amendment that would change state law to allow for the licensing, authorization, taxation and regulation of games of chance at a licensed casino. Newlin said the proposed casinos would only be established at existing horseracing facilities in Omaha, Lincoln, Columbus, Hastings, Grand Island and South Sioux City. This petition requires 130,000 signatures by July 2.
The second petition would enact a state statute to establish the Nebraska Gaming Commission to regulate casinos. The third petition would enact a state statute to establish a tax on gross gambling revenue. An additional 85,000 signatures are required for the two state
Newlin said the proposed tax rate would be 20 percent; that would generate $65 million to $85 million in annual gaming tax revenue. According to the petition text, 75 percent of that revenue would go to the state, with 2.5 percent designated to the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund, 2.5 percent to the General Fund; and the remaining 70 percent to the Property Tax Credit Cash Fund. The host county would receive 25 percent of gambling tax revenue.
Pat Loontjer, executive director of the anti-gambling group Don’t Gamble with the Good Life, said changing the state constitution possibly could lead to Las Vegas-type casinos coming into the state. “National statistics will show that for every one dollar a state gains in gambling revenue, it costs them three dollars in social costs. We consider Nebraska the good life state. We’ve done very well without having casinos,” she said.
Loontjer noted slot machines are “the crack cocaine of gambling. In this day and age when people are struggling with the virus and with the economy the last thing we need is some other form of gambling that’s going to take money out of the state or out of the pockets of families.”
