It’s early days for the 2020 election but the Ho-Chunk Nation is partnering with The Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association on a petition drive to get racinos onto that 
election-year ballot. As many as six tracks could be affected. One of the, Atokad Downs in South Sioux City (‘Dakota’ spelled backwards, geddit?) is owned by the Ho-Chunk. It hosts a grand total of one race a year, thereby keeping its license alive. Arguing that Nebraskans wager $500 million in neighboring states, Ho-Chunk Inc. CEO Lance Morgan says, “We believe the revenue should stay in Nebraska.” A 2016 ballot question sputtered out for lack of signatures. Morgan says it was too complicated for the Average Joe to digest. “This shows we don’t give up. We’ve got to get it exactly right,” Morgan says of a new petition that will have fewer questions and more-accessible language.
* Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races will make it in time for the kickoff of NFL season. The Penn National Gaming-run racino will open its sports book Sept. 1. William Hill will operate the sports book. A FanDuel book at The Greenbrier has been approved but FanDuel and the casino are having trouble getting their cleats on. Mardi Gras Casino and Wheeling Island Casino has also been approved for sports 
betting but opening dates aren’t available. Ironically, considering that his family owns The Greenbrier, Gov. Jim Justice (R) favors business-killing integrity fees. Would we call that an in-justice? The sleeper may be Wheeling Island Casino, which is geographically well-positioned to lure players from both Ohio and Pennsylvania, where no sports betting is available although Penn National has filed the first Keystone State application for a sports book.
* Continuing MGM Resorts International‘s commitment to public art, it has commissioned a lobby sculpture for MGM Springfield, which opens this Friday. Mia Perlman‘s The Flying Tidings Whirled (the title is from Emily Dickinson) is an 
aluminum vortex that commemorates the 2011 tornado that ripped through downtown and indirectly made MGM Springfield possible. “When MGM approached me about doing a commission in this space, they were very interested about doing something on the tornado that happened in Springfield,” Perlman told a newspaper. “You don’t want to make light of it, because it’s a very serious thing,” she added, explaining that she wanted to capture the drama of the storm without seeming to glorify it or to frighten visitors.
“Artists who made really crazy, over-the-top forms were always inspiring,” said Perlman, whose influences include Japanese screen painting. That last fact ought to register with MGM boss Jim Murren, who’s got Japan on the brain these days.
* SugarHouse is taking a page from Golden Nugget’s playbook and adding online games with live dealers. Consider that seven other sites in Atlantic City have gone live, we have to ask Rush Street Gaming, What took you so long?
