Executive from Winnebago Tribe pushes Nebraska gaming bid

Friday, September 25, 2015

A row of gaming machines at the WinnaVegas Casino Resort in Sloan, Iowa. Photo from Facebook

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A group called Keep the Money in Nebraska is seeking to authorize gaming at racetracks in the state.

Lance Morgan, the chief executive officer of Ho-Chunk Inc., is part of the effort. He said the public wants to see expanded gaming in the Cornhusker State.

"Our goal is to create economic development in Nebraska, create both direct and indirect jobs, and keep some of the money that’s been leaking to other states," Morgan told The Omaha World-Herald.

Casino-style gaming is legal in all of the bordering states -- Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wyoming. Yet efforts to expand gaming in Nebraska have been hindered by opposition from religious groups and other interests. The state also has long refused to negotiate a Class III gaming compact.

Keep the Money in Nebraska is collecting signatures on three petitions to place the issue on an upcoming ballot. If the effort succeeds, tribes would presumably be able to offer the same types of games as the racetracks.

Ho-Chunk Inc., the economic development arm of the Winnebago Tribe, owns Indianz.Com, as well as a former racetrack that could add gaming machines as part of the initiative. The tribe itself operates the WinnaVegas Casino Resort in neighboring Iowa.

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Group wants to legalize casino gambling at Nebraska horse racing tracks (The Omaha World-Herald 9/25)