Gambling Related Ballots Receive Mixed Results

LAS VEGAS, NV - /GAMING WIRE/ - Gambling-related ballot measures received mixed results in last week's elections, with a measure to abolish video lottery machines in South Dakota failing while North Carolina voters decided to create a state lottery and Arkansans defeated a lottery-casino plan.

South Dakota's anti-video lottery measure was failing 55 percent to 45 percent with 431 of 888 precincts reporting. State voters legalized the games in 1989.

In a much tighter race, South Dakotans were voting by a 51 percent to 49 percent margin to raise betting limits from $5 to $100 per wager at Deadwood casinos.

Wisconsin saw the passage of one non-binding measure to create a tribal casino and the failure of a second.

Beloit voters backed a tentative casino agreement with the Bad River and St. Croix Chippewa bands by 61 percent.

Voters in La Crosse County appeared to vote against a casino there, with two of 37 precincts 55 percent of the voters were rejecting the proposal from the Ho-Chunk nation to build near the city of La Crosse.

The referendums were to give leaders in both communities direction on whether to proceed with negotiations.

Elsewhere:
Arkansans defeated the plan to create a state lottery and legalize casino gambling in six counties. With 28 percent of

the state's precincts reporting, the proposal was opposed by 64 percent of the voters. A portion of the gambling proceeds would have gone to education programs.

Colorado voters were approving by a razor-thin margin a proposal to allow the state to join a multi-state lottery. With a third of the votes tallied, the measure was passing 50 percent to 49 percent.

Maine voters were overwhelmingly rejected by a 59 percent to 41 percent margin a proposal to allow a minimum of 1,500 video lottery machines at Scarborough Downs Race Track, just south of Portland.

Massachusetts voters by a 51 percent to 49 percent margin were rejecting a proposal to end greyhound racing. The question's sponsors argued the dogs are abused; opponents denied the charge.

North Carolinians created their state lottery to help fund education. The State Legislature must adopt enabling laws for the games to begin.

Virginia overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment guaranteeing that proceeds from the state lottery will be used to support public education. With more than one-fifth of the vote counted, 84 percent said yes to the amendment, and 16 percent said no.

Voters in West Virginia's Greenbrier County appeared in early returns to be rejecting by a 2-to-1 margin a proposal to allow The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs to open the state's first casino.