LINCOLN — Omaha State Sen. Ernie Chambers has vowed to “run the clock” by filibustering a “Christmas tree bill” involving fantasy sports contests, raffles on weather events, keno and pickle cards.

During first-round debate Thursday, Chambers said Legislative Bill 970 is gambling — “pure and simple.

“If you favor more gambling, even if you pass this bill you won’t get it, because I assure you it is unconstitutional,” he said.
The Nebraska Legislature adjourned before voting on a motion by Chambers to indefinitely postpone, or kill, the bill. Debate could resume Tuesday.

As amended by the Legislature’s General Affairs Committee, the bill rolls three measures into one.

O’Neill Sen. Tyson Larson, the sponsor of LB 970, defended its multiple subjects, saying it was necessary during the short legislative session.

“This really is in essence of time to make sure these important issues can get done,” he said.

The measure would define fantasy sports contests as games of skill and require fantasy sports operators, such as DraftKings and FanDuel, to pay a $50,000 registration fee and annual $10,000 renewal fee.

To be legal in Nebraska, a game must be predominantly a game of skill rather than of chance.

The bill would include customer protections such as requiring fantasy sports operators to verify that participants are at least 18, and prohibiting third-party auto drafters.

The bill also includes a measure originally introduced by Sen. Dan Hughes of Venango that would allow nonprofit groups to use lotteries and raffles based on the timing of naturally occurring weather events.

Read more on Omaha.com…

LJS  Jan. 14, 2016

A judge Wednesday sent a Lincoln pharmacist to prison for being behind Nebraska’s largest health care fraud to date, bilking the state’s Medicaid program of $14.4 million over six years.

Scott Tran, 45, who pleaded guilty to health care fraud, said there weren’t words to describe how sorry he is and how shameful.

“I still have to carry that shame and that guilt for the rest of my life for what I did to my family and to the society,” he said, before U.S. District Judge John Gerrard gave him nine years and two months in federal prison.

Tran asked for a chance to redeem himself and said he has taken steps to address his gambling addiction.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Everett acknowledged Tran’s gambling addiction provided him with the motive to steal.

“And we could debate at length and probably not resolve the question of whether he chose to gamble,” he said. “But I think what is beyond debate is he chose to steal.”

He said Tran, who owned Tran Pharmacy at 2655 S. 70th St., but lives in Omaha, devised a sophisticated scheme to get reimbursed for drugs doctors never prescribed. He tested it on a small scale, then, when it worked, he implemented it on a large scale and continued it for nearly six years.

“He chose to steal on 2,376 separate occasions during this period of time,” Everett said arguing for a 10-year sentence. “That’s more than once per day.”

By the end, Tran owned two houses free and clear, loaned a friend $300,000, owned several nice cars and a boat, he said. And he’d gambled away millions.

Defense attorney Clarence Mock said Tran suffered for years from an untreated gambling disorder that led him to do things he wouldn’t have done, but for the compulsion.

“This is not a situation where we have someone who is an inveterate criminal who otherwise has led a life of disrepute and disrespect for the law,” Mock said.

He said Tran was as remorseful an individual as he’s ever stood next to in federal or state court. Not only did he acknowledge his wrongdoing and concede the restitution amount, he also sat down with agents to explain how he carried out the fraud so that the Department of Health and Human Services might prevent it from happening again, Mock said.

“Nonetheless, an addiction like this, not unlike an alcohol or drug addiction that I see too often in my court, does not excuse your behavior, and it will not minimize your sentence,” he said.

Then the judge sentenced him to 110 months in prison, plus three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $14,450,059.17 in restitution.

Tran has agreed to forfeit his right to cash and property seized early in the investigation, which will go toward restitution.

U.S. Marshals took him out of the courtroom after Gerrard turned down a request to let him report to prison later.

Read full article at the Lincoln Journal Star

Dear Supporter,

Looks like we are starting off with a “BANG” in the Legislature this year so we really need your help!

Sen. Larson’s poker bill, LB 619 is going to be voted on today, Monday, January 11th.

It would allow anyone with a liquor license to have a “Poker Room”. Currently there are 5723 active licenses in Nebraska. Now I know they won’t all want “Poker Rooms” but any, will be too many.  Please contact as many Senators as possible and ask them to vote NO or Not Voting on LB 619. 

An article posted on August 11, 2015 in the Lincoln Star Journal was entitled: Date set for Lincoln’s one annual horse race.

This was our response; also posted in Lincoln Journal Star on August 20, 2015.

I found it very interesting that the Lincoln Race Course is so proud to announce their one day a year of horse racing in order to keep their simulcast license. They should be ashamed of themselves for bragging about this farce. Nebraska Horse tracks are the only business in the state allowed to gamble on simulcast races in other states. They were given that privilege years ago under the guise that they would use the profits to hold horse races and thus “save the horses.” Well, that never happened and now they are back saying they need slots to “save the horses.” When will the gambling industry admit that they don’t give a hoot about the horses and just want to use them to line their own pockets with gambling dollars?

Just look at what happened to our neighbor, Iowa. The gambling industry cried that they needed slots to “save the dogs.” They got the slots but just last year a Council Bluffs casino announced they were losing $9 million a year keeping dog racing alive. They offered their Legislature millions to let them off the hook, dump the dogs and continue to make a fortune on slots. Proponents of the change said it was time for the dogs to go as they are a dying breed. The same thing will happen to the poor horses that are being used as pawns in the Nebraska scenario.

A one or two day race season in Lincoln and Omaha is not live horse racing. The Racing Commission no longer exists to support live horse racing. They are working to transform horse tracks into other forms of gambling, like simulcasting and, their dream, slot machine parlors. This is not good for live horse racing or for Nebraska. The state racing commission fears its own end since horse racing has effectively ended in Nebraska due to lack of public interest.

“Give us the slots, and we’ll create jobs and save the horses,” they promise.  Don’t bet on it!  What it will do is increase gambling addiction, which in turn destroys families and legitimate businesses. Do we need more crime, more embezzlements, more divorces and more suicides? NO

The Racing Board in Nebraska also announced that they will be back in the Legislature next year to try to get the “Historic Horse Racing Machines” put on the ballot. Remember that these are the same “Dead Horse Slot Machines” that have been defeated year after year. Rest assured, if they are coming back then so will we. Gambling with the Good Life has protected Nebraska families and businesses against expanded gambling successfully for the past 20 years, and we are not about to give up now.

Pat Loontjer   Executive Director   Gambling with the Good Life

Protecting Nebraska families and businesses against expanded gambling since 1995