A group in Nebraska says it has gathered enough signatures to get a vote on casinos at the November ballot, in keeping with a report from the Associated Press.

However, a vote on casinos is predicted to receive major opposition within the coming weeks and months, especially from the religious groups within the state. A lawsuit reportedly may well be filed in an try to block a vote.

The group, Keep the cash in Nebraska, showed proof this week that it has collected roughly 130,000 signatures for a constitutional amendment petition to permit casinos.

The last time Nebraska voters got to weigh in on casinos was a few decade ago.

An estimated $400 million is spent per annum by residents at out-of-state casinos.

Though most games of chance are banned in Nebraska, the state does allow horse racing, keno and the lottery. A separate legislative effort to get poker re-classified as a game of skill after which made legal didn’t gain enough traction and was deemed dead earlier this year.

The poker-only bill was also designed to strengthen Nebraska’s economy, the bill’s sponsor told Card Player last year.

“I think it’s like 90 percent of Nebraska residents live within 75 miles of a casino, but none of them are in Nebraska,” State Sen. Tyson Larson said. “It’s a terrible issue. Opponents of gaming discuss the social ills that include it, however the thing is now we have those social ills but we don’t have the industrial benefit to move together with them.”

Read More... [Source: CardPlayer Poker News]