
Nebraska voters approved a trio of ballot initiatives aimed at allowing casino gambling at six licensed horse race tracks across the state.
After at least four unsuccessful attempts at persuading voters to expand gambling in Nebraska in the past, pro-casino forces finally saddled up a winner on Tuesday.
By a healthy margin, voters approved a trio of ballot initiatives aimed at allowing casino gambling at six licensed horse racetracks across the state and devoting some of the proceeds to property tax relief.
“It was time,” said Lynne McNally, executive vice president of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. “I think people want to keep the money here, but they want it limited, at only six locations, not on every street corner like in South Dakota.”
The victory culminated an expensive campaign to get the issues on the ballot, to ward off legal challenges and to woo voters. The campaign generated more than $7 million in spending by pro- and anti-gambling forces on advertisements, lawyers and petition circulators.
Most of the financial backing for the successful initiatives came from Ho-Chunk Inc., the economic development wing of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and the owner of the Atokad racetrack in South Sioux City.
Opponents, led by prominent Nebraskans including football coach Tom Osborne and Gov. Pete Ricketts, had called casino gambling “a greed-driven business” that would exacerbate problem gambling and provide little property tax relief. They also complained that “Indian casinos” would spring up everywhere, a charge that backers of the gambling initiatives denied and said had racist overtones.
But advocates of the “racinos” (casinos at a racetrack) said that Nebraskans were betting an estimated $500 million a year at casinos in Iowa and other neighboring states and that it was time to “keep the money in Nebraska.”
McNally said the bulked-up revenue from casino gambling should allow the state’s thoroughbred racetracks to double the number of live racing days in Nebraska, from the current 53 days.
In 1985, a record 233 days of live racing were held, and Omaha’s premier track, Ak-Sar-Ben, drew 1.3 millions fans, many from Kansas City and Des Moines. But the advent of riverboat gambling in Iowa led to the closure of Ak-Sar-Ben. Ironically, McNally said, casinos are now going to revive horse racing in Nebraska.
The largest margin of victory for the three gambling measures was for the one that calls for directing an estimated $45.5 million a year of the proceeds from the casinos for additional state property tax credits for Nebraskans. Initiatives to amend the Nebraska Constitution to allow for expanded gambling and to create a State Gaming Commission to regulate the casinos also won by large margins.
Pat Loontjer, the head of the anti-casino group Gambling With the Good Life, said it felt like David fighting Goliath because her group was outspent, according to the last campaign spending reports, by almost $2 million.
Rejection of expanded gambling by Nebraska voters goes back to 1938, when a ballot measure to legalize slot machines was defeated. Other efforts to expand legalized gambling via the ballot failed in 1990, 2004 and 2006.
In addition, several efforts by state lawmakers to get constitutional amendments on the ballot to allow expanded gambling have failed over the years. In 2014, the Nebraska Supreme Court rejected a ballot measure that would have allowed betting on previously run “historic” horse races, saying it violated a constitutional restriction that such issues contain only one subject.
And in 2016, a similar casino gambling proposal to the one approved Tuesday failed to obtain enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.
Photos: Nebraska on Election Day 2020

People line up to vote at Omaha South High Magnet School on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

A woman who did not give her name carries a sign urging respect at 13th and Bancroft Streets in South Omaha on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

People mark voting ballots at the Omaha Community Playhouse in Omaha on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

An election official wipes down a ballot sleeve at Dundee Elementary School in Omaha on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Bancroft Elementary School in South Omaha on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Pablo Perez, of Omaha, votes at Bancroft Elementary School in South Omaha on Tuesday.

Jalen and Sydney Gibbons, of Omaha, vote with their 1-year-old twins, Isla and Greyson, by their side at Bancroft Elementary School in South Omaha on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Blue Line Coffee posts a sign along Underwood Avenue that reads "If you voted your drink is free - Compliments of Eastman for Congress" in Omaha on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

A person votes at the Omaha Community Playhouse in Omaha on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Sidewalk chalk messages at 13th and Bancroft Streets in South Omaha on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Lori Ham, an election official, disinfests a ballot sleeve at Omaha South High Magnet School on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

People line up and vote at Omaha South High Magnet School on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Derrick Combs, of Omaha, voters at Omaha South High Magnet School on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

A voter arrives to Omaha South High Magnet School on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Voters occupy all the booths inside Bethel Lutheran Church, 1312 S. 45th St., on Tuesday. There were close to 30 people in line when the doors opened.

A polling place, Wellspring Lutheran Church in Papillion on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Derek Rau and his service dog Voodoo walk to a polling booth in Omaha on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Volunteer Katie Jennings sets up the voting booths inside Bethel Lutheran Church located at 1312 South 45th Street on Tuesday, November 03, 2020.

Jennifer Dirks, of Papillion, fills out her ballot at a polling place in Papillion on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

A person talks on the phone while voting inside the Walnut Hill Elementary School gymnasium in Omaha on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Molly Loesche, left, and Sheryl Mason initial ballots before voting starts inside Bethel Lutheran Church located at 1312 South 45th Street on Tuesday, November 03, 2020.

Alayna Gonzalez, 8 months, sits with her dad, Hector Gonzalez, of Omaha, while waiting for her mom, Ana Gayton (not pictured), to finish voting so he can take his turn at the Disabled American Veterans hall in South Omaha on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

People vote at the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation in Omaha on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Stickers are available fore voters at a polling place in Papillion on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Volunteer Katie Jennings puts on an "Election Official" badge on before the start of voting inside Bethel Lutheran Church located at 1312 South 45th Street on Tuesday, November 03, 2020.

People vote in the Walnut Hill Elementary School gymnasium in Omaha on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Voters fill out their ballots at a polling place in Papillion on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Some of the close to 30 people who lined waiting to vote at Bethel Lutheran Church located at 1312 S. 45th St. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.

Brandon Wood, an election official, places a ballot in a secure box at a polling place, Wellspring Lutheran Church in Papillion on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Volunteers Zane Jones, left, and Jay Mason put a "polling place" sign outside of Bethel Lutheran Church located at 1312 South 45th Street on Tuesday, November 03, 2020.

Poll workers keep track of voters in Papillion on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

A person stands behind a polling place sign while talking on the phone at Walnut Hill Elementary School in Omaha on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

People vote in the showroom of Lexus of Omaha at 13025 W Dodge Rd on Tuesday, November 03, 2020.

A voter hands off his ballot to a poll worker in the showroom of Lexus of Omaha at 13025 W Dodge Rd on Tuesday, November 03, 2020.

Volunteer Thomas Jackson puts tape marks down for so people can stand six feet apart while waiting in line to vote at Bethel Lutheran Church located at 1312 South 45th Street on Tuesday, November 03, 2020. The polling place wouldn't open for another 20 minutes but people were already showing up. Close to thirty had lined up by the time the doors opened.

Volunteer Jay Mason puts a "polling place" sign outside of Bethel Lutheran Church located at 1312 South 45th Street on Tuesday, November 03, 2020.

A voting booth waiting for voters inside Bethel Lutheran Church located at 1312 South 45th Street on Tuesday, November 03, 2020.

Volunteer Jay Mason throws way political signs that were too close to the polling place at Bethel Lutheran Church located at 1312 South 45th Street on Tuesday, November 03, 2020.

People vote at the Disabled American Veterans hall in South Omaha on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Sal Johnson, an election official, goes over a list of names at the Disabled American Veterans hall in South Omaha on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Matt Carroll, of Omaha, votes as children's art is displayed behind him at the Kids Can Community Center in South Omaha on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Rep. Don Bacon greeted drivers at 72nd Street and Highway 370 in Papillion.

Democrat Kara Eastman's husband Scott, left, crosses the street while holding a yard sign on the corner of 24th and L Streets in South Omaha on Tuesday.

A shadow of a supporter of Rep. Don Bacon as she waves sign at the intersection of 72nd Street and Hwy 370 in Papillion on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Kara Eastman and other Democrats gathered at 24th and L Streets in South Omaha Tuesday morning.

Hannah Sobczyk, 16, of Papillion, waves a sign in support of Rep. Don Bacon as a tractor goes by the intersection of 72nd Street and Hwy 370 in Papillion on Election Day.

NE-02 Democratic U.S. House candidate Kara Eastman, right, stands with supporters on the corner of 24th and L Streets in South Omaha on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

District 2 candidate Kara Eastman waves to passing cars on the corner of 24th and L Streets in South Omaha on Tuesday.

Nebraska State Senator Tony Vargas shields his eyes from the sun while crossing the corner of 24th and L Streets in South Omaha on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Aidan Hansen, 15, of Papillion, waves a sign in support of Rep. Don Bacon at the intersection of 72nd Street and Hwy 370 in Papillion on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

NE-02 Democratic U.S. House candidate Kara Eastman, center, has a coffee with staffers at Archetype Coffee in Omaha on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Democratic U.S. House candidate Kara Eastman, right, leaves Archetype Coffee to continue on the campaign trail in Omaha on Tuesday.

Hannah Sobczyk, 16, of Papillion, waves a sign in support of Rep. Don Bacon at the intersection of 72nd Street and Hwy 370 in Papillion on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

State Sen. Tony Vargas holds his own campaign sign on the corner of 24th and L Streets in South Omaha on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Supporters of Rep. Don Bacon wave signs at the intersection of 72nd Street and Highway 370 in Papillion.

Democratic Kara Eastman, center, waves to passing cars on the corner of 24th and L Streets in South Omaha on Tuesday.

Rep. Don Bacon, right, and supporters wave signs at the intersection of 72nd Street and Highway 370 in Papillion on Tuesday.

Rep. Don Bacon votes at his polling place, Wellspring Lutheran Church in Papillion on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
paul.hammel@owh.com, 402-473-9584,