Downtown Brookings bar owner wants video lottery restriction trashed

Sunday, March 19, 2000 | 2:53 a.m.

Max Fjelstad said he's trying to get 650 petition signatures to force an election.

It's not possible to get the issue on the regular city election ballot April 11, and the earliest a special election could be held is May 2, according to city officials.

Brookings allows one video lottery license for every 1,008 residents. The city has about 17,000.

"I feel there's some unfair treatment going on," he said. "To base it on population density is ridiculous. Mitchell is at one license for about 600 people. Other towns are in the 300 ballpark.

"I'm not trying to start a fly-by-night casino."

Fjelstad owns and operates the downtown Jackalope Lounge.

His request for a video lottery license was turned down on a tie vote by the city council in January.

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