Gambling news from http://www.nebraska.tv/
Attorney General Jon Bruning says petition initiatives to allow casino gambling and video keno should not be allowed on the November ballot.
He says the measures violate the state constitution's limit on submitting similar ballot proposals more than once in three years. However, Secretary of State John Gale, who will ultimately rule if either issue can be on the ballot, says he'll announce his decision Wednesday.
Keno owners feel they're being lumped in with casino promoters, saying the keno petition is different. Still, they say, the bumps in the road for video keno don't come as a surprise.
Keno: write your numbers on a ticket, exchange it for an electronic one and wait for the operator to start the game..
"Keno's become somewhat archaic in the way it's done," Michael Neviervy said.
The owner of Hastings KENO Sports Bar also operates the game in Kearney, North Platte, McCook and other central Nebraska cities. He says the KENO petition that about 125-thousand Nebraskans signed is completely separate from the three casino petitions submitted to the Secretary of the State on Friday.
"Our petition was simply to authorize video keno machines," he said. "Take the game off the wall and put it into a video screen players can play individually."
Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning says on his website: "we believe submission of any of the proposed measures at the next general election would violate the resubmission clause.." because they're similar to gambling initiatives in 2004. Bruning also states that "'electronic' or 'video' keno is an impermissible 'game of chance..'" prohibited by Nebraska's constitution.
"We knew with about any gaming issue in the state of Nebraska, inevitably it's going to end up in the Supreme Court," Neviervy said.
If Gale rules against the initiative Wednesday, Neviervy says they're ready to file a lawsuit to prove the games would be constitutional.
Leaders of the group pushing for casino gambling in the state say they, too, would seek legal action if their initiative is overruled.
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