LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Supporters of a campaign to legalize casino gambling at Nebraska horse racing tracks say the effort is going well.
The group Keep the Money in Nebraska has raised more than $1.1 million to place the issue on the November ballot. Spokesman Scott Lautenbaugh says organizers are confident they’ll have enough signatures by the July 7 submission deadline.
Gambling opponents say they’re focused on the general election. Gambling with the Good Life is building a coalition of churches, business leaders and citizens who will urge voters to reject the proposal.
The petition drive was heavily financed by Ho-Chunk Inc., the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska’s economic development arm. Ho-Chunk says it wants to open a casino at Atokad Downs, a South Sioux City race track that closed in 2012.