by Mitchell Cutcher
On this year’s ballot, Nebraskans will vote on if they want to legalize casino gaming in the state.
The three specific measures are Initiative Measure 429, Initiative Measure 430 and Initiative Measure 431. If all three measure are approved, this will allow Nebraskans to legally gamble on sports and gamble at casinos. Approval will also allow the state of Nebraska to impose a 20% tax on all gaming income.
“If you’re undecided I think you should take a look at the revenue that has left our state. Nine billion dollars has been spent since the casinos opened in Iowa by Nebraskans, said Lynne Schuller, executive director at Nebraska Horseman. “That’s proven and reported by the Iowa Gaming Commission. So just imagine what our economy would have done if that $9 billion had been spent here instead of another state.”
Nebraskans are currently spending nearly 400 million dollars at nearby casinos each year, according to keepthemoneyinneb.com Should Nebraskans legalize gaming this will bring more than $65 million a year in gambling taxes to help property taxes, government budgets and help those with gambling problems.
If passed, Nebraskans can partake in all forms of games of chance at establishments with the proper licensing at licensed racetracks. This measure also allows for the state of Nebraska to authorize, regulate and tax games of chance. If initiative measure 429 is passed, the Nebraska Constitution will be amended so that the state can enact laws for games of chance.
Initiative Measure 430 has three different parts. The first allows games of chance to be conducted by authorized gaming operators. The second part of the measure will allow Nebraska to establish a statewide gaming commission to oversee the casino gaming in the state. The last part of the measure will amend and repeal existing sections of the law to allow the state to open casinos and legalize gaming in the state.
The creation of the gaming commission will take the five existing members of the racing commission and add two members who are gaming experts to become a seven-member racing and gaming commission across the state. They are the ones who will charge a $1 million fee to get a gaming license but only those who already have a racing license.
Initiative Measure 431 will create a 20% annual tax on the overall gaming income from games of chance. The measure will also distribute 75% of such gaming tax revenues to the state and credit of 2.5% to help support the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund and General Fund.
The third part of Initiative Measure 431 will distribute 25% of the tax from gaming revenue to the home county of where the licensed racetrack is from or if the racetrack is located in multiple cities and the percentage of tax will be separated evenly between the two cities.
“I just have an issue with what they do to people, the whole concept of gambling can ruin people’s lives. It does a lot more harm to people than it does good,” said Nate Dolezal, a Douglas County voter.
Those who oppose gambling point to its negative repercussions especially on those who lose money. Opponents would also like to see more tax revenue go into infrastructure and support programs that help those with a gambling problem.
Casinos can have a negative effect on the area around, resulting in an increase in criminal activity, according to debatewise.org.
“If you don’t gamble, but if you are a property owner, you should still want to vote for it because it directly benefits you,” Schuller said. “We (Nebraska) are surrounded on all sides by casino gaming. There is not a single that touches Nebraska that doesn’t have it. As a matter of fact, 70% of us are within 60 miles of a slot machine right now. All of the money, the revenue and the benefits are going out of state and staying out of state, when we could keep that money here and using that tax revenue for things that benefit us.”
