Staplehurst will determine on May 12 whether a Keno will be available in town.
The village, which has 240 registered voters, has a ballot measure on the primary ballot that would allow it to establish and conduct a lottery for the purpose of community betterment as defined in the state’s City Lottery Act.
The village board in January voted to put the issue on the ballot with a proposal from DS Frank LLC, which would contract with Craig Blake of Waverly to offer Keno at the Good Ol’ Days restaurant on the village’s main street.
As noted in the document filed with the Seward County clerk’s office, the DS Frank business would reimburse the village for expenses, including any legal and election expenses regardless of the outcome of the May 12 vote.
Debbie S. Frank is sole owner of the DS Frank LLC and owns Good Ol’ Days restaurant. She is also the chair of the Staplehurst village board, but abstained from voting on the motion to put the lottery question to voters.
She said the restaurant manager has handled the application to get the lottery on the ballot and other business matters for Keno.
As listed in the Nebraska Department of Revenue’s gaming regulations, community betterment can include an array of purposes including opportunities for educational advancement, improving health and community opportunities, public works projects, supplementing support for public services, or providing tax relief for the community.
