An initiative to put video keno on the November ballot in Nebraska survived a court challenge September 6th after its supporters gathered enough signatures and got the approval, but opponents said they're not yet done with the battle.
Several days ago, Attorney J.L. Spray filed suit for a Lincoln-based effort to keep the video keno proposal off the ballot and a Lancaster County District Court judge dismissed it. Spray again filed an appeal and The Nebraska Supreme Court will hear the appeal this week.
Video keno proponents disagreed with Spray and his clients saying that Video Keno is the introduction of slots machine and that it may be a Pandora's box. While some will initially see it as a good thing, it could blossom into what would amount to slot-machine parlors.
Big Red Keno's Kent Pavelka said that if the voters say yes to the proposal, local governments will keep an eye on where the video keno machines will go, and for the most part, those ordinances are likely to restrict the machines to existing keno parlors.
According to Pavelka, every detail about video keno will be decided on a local level, including whether it'll happen or not. The current game has raised millions of dollars for public improvements and he hopes that is something the public will remember on the day of election, Pavelka said.
The Omaha-based group "Gambling With the Good Life" has also come out joining Spray's group against video keno.
If the video keno proposal passes, State Attorney General Jon Bruning said that he would challenge its constitutionality.
Wednesday, September 13 , 2006
John Sullivan
