A tribe from Nebraska has decided to dedicate its all in ensuring that racetrack casinos are legalized in the next fall’s referendum. The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska has volunteered to singlehandedly fund the political committee that is a charge of placing the question in the ballot during the next referendum.
The tribe is part of Ho-Chunk Incorporation, a Nebraska economic development unit. According to records by the state, the committee has so far received $1.5 million since its formation in the end days of June 2015. All this money has come from Ho-Chunk.
The CEO of Ho-Chunk, Lance Morgan, told the media that they were not spending all that money blindly. They have done their research and realized that most of the customers in Iowa come from Omaha and Lincoln.
Therefore, they want to put the issue forth to Nebraskans so they can decide whether they want casinos to be set up in the six racetracks in Nebraska. The movement has been branded ‘Keep the Money in Nebraska’.
Though there are several casinos in Nebraska, they do not feature the usual gaming slots and tables. The casinos are small and only feature Class I and II gaming options. This means that the residents of Nebraska go to the neighboring towns to gamble. Most of these casinos are located in Iowa along the Missouri River.
According to one detailed article by one trusted contributor that appears in casino.org, Prairie Flower Casino in Carter Lake, a casino to the west of Missouri and surrounded by Nebraska is also another popular venue for the gamblers from Nebraska. The reports is also quite categorical in advising on this and it advises in detail what keeping the money in the Nebraska campaign would mean.
This is owing to the fact that citizens of Nebraska spend millions of cash and assets, gambling in the neighboring towns, money that should instead be spent within the state. Having casinos set up in their racetracks is estimated to earn the government an additional $50 to $120 million tax revenue which could go a long way in relieving taxes or improving education.
The tribe assures residents that it does not seek to transform the quiet state into Las Vegas. Only the racetracks will be allowed to install gaming slots and tables within their facilities. The Horsemen association has come out supporting the campaign. However, they are facing opposition from an anti-gambling group that has been in place since 2002. The director of the group said they have already started the campaigns against the referendum.
The campaign by Ho-Chunk requires to obtain the required signatures to place it in the ballot in the November 2020 referendum. Once in the ballot, it will be required to gunner a simple majority, which is 35 percent of the votes cast. This is the only condition it will have to pass so that it can become law. Well, now that that has been said in precise let’s wait and see!
