Voters will decide if keno will be allowed in Milford through a special election this spring.
The election will be done completely by mail – no polling places will be set up – and completed ballots are due by May 9.
The ballot language reads as follows:
“Shall the City of Milford establish and conduct a keno lottery as permitted under the Nebraska County and City Lottery Act for the purpose of ‘community betterment,’ as such term is defined in said Act?”
Voters who want keno will fill in the “yes” oval, and those who don’t will darken “no.”
Keno, a form of gambling, is played by choosing numbers on a slip of paper, then placing a cash wager that those numbers will be drawn. Winnings are calculated based on the amount of correctly chosen numbers.
A winning ticket can range from a 25-cent payout to a $250,000 payout.
Winnings over $1,500 per ticket are subject to federal tax.
State law requires a portion of proceeds from gambling to go toward community betterment efforts in the city or county in which the games are played. Milford would receive 8 ¾% of any funds generated by keno.
If voters elect to allow the games, the city must then work through interlocal agreements and get approval from the state.
Ballots will begin hitting mailboxes of registered voters on April 17 and may be returned no later than 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 9, to the Seward County Clerk.
Ballots may be returned in person or by mail at 529 Seward St., Room 205, Seward, NE 68434. A ballot may also be placed in the secure drop box on the north side of the Seward County Courthouse.
