Nebraska casino opponents recruit national crusader

Scott Bauer

Friday, May 28, 2004 | 9:09 a.m.

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Information will win out over money in the battle to legalize casinos in Nebraska, a national anti-gambling advocate said.

"Informed voters that have the information will walk into the ballot box and do the right thing and gambling will be defeated," said the Rev. Tom Grey, executive director of Rockford, Ill.-based National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling.

Grey was brought to Omaha this week to meet with others in Nebraska who are working to defeat efforts to legalize casino gambling in the state. At least one measure that would legalize two casinos will be on the Nov. 2 ballot, put there by the Legislature.

A petition drive for a measure widely expected to gather enough signatures to also be on the ballot would legalize two casinos in Omaha and slot machines at various locations across the state. Another petition being circulated would legalize slot machines at various locations but not casinos.

The deadline for petitions to be submitted with the required signatures is July 2.

Greg Robinson, the mayor of Kimball and a spokesman for the petition drive to legalize casinos and slot machines, said the signature-gathering was on track and signatures may even be submitted ahead of the deadline.

Grey doesn't downplay how significant he sees the decision facing voters.

"The future of this state is going to be decided by this vote. This is the showdown," Grey said. "My sense is an informed electorate is going to go to the ballot box in 169 days and they're going to vote for their best hopes for the future of the state."

Grey was meeting with former Omaha Mayor Hal Daub, members of the state's anti-gambling group, state senators and others to map a strategy for defeating the casino proposals.

"We're launching the offensive that we've got to protect Nebraska from Nevada," said Gambling with the Good Life director Pat Loontjer.

The pro-gambling coalition, called Keep the Money in Nebraska, consists of Coast Casinos of Las Vegas, Nebraska's horse racing industry, keno operators and local communities. The Venetian in Las Vegas has also been promoting casino gambling in Omaha.

The pro-casino coalition already has collected $800,000, an amount that opponents say they will not be able to come close to matching.

"They've got the money. We've got the truth. That's going to be our theme," Loontjer said. "It's going to be a grass roots effort. If we raise $10,000 they'll raise $10 million. Those are the odds we're facing."

The opposition will use people to counter the pro-gambling contingent's money, Grey said. It's a strategy that's worked in other states, he said.

Grey said there were 46 attempts in 30 states to expand gambling last year, but just three succeeded. The Nebraska campaign will rely heavily on churches and faith groups to spread the message between now and the election, Grey said.

"We can show that addiction increases when you open a casino, crime increases, bankruptcies are increasing," Grey said.