Colorado voters passed a resolution allowing for the possibility of expanded gambling last week. The three state gambling towns will have the opportunity to add craps and roulette to their game selection, raise maximum bets from USD 5 to USD 100, and expand hours of operation. Voters approved the measure designed to increase state tax revenue. Over three-quarters of additional state income from the casinos is earmarked for state colleges.

Competition for gamblers just got a bit tougher. Voters in Maryland, looking to boost their horse racing industry and provide some cash to schools, approved a measure on Tuesday to legalized slot machine gambling in five venues. Although industry observers predict it will be three-to-four years before slot machines are operating in Maryland, the gambling parlors will ultimately give patrons a reason to wager closer to home.

The effort to bring casino gambling to Southwest Ohio was being soundly rejected by voters, who were turning down a statewide ballot that would have amended the state’s constitution to allow a new facility near Wilmington. Issue 6, which would have paved the way for legalizing the construction of a USD 600 million casino development near Interstate 71 in Clinton County, was trailing 61 percent to 39 percent – and the Associated Press said it would not pass based on those early returns.

Indications from the vote counting late yesterday in Guam showed that the Democrats were poised to retain the majority in the Legislature with a strong majority opposing an initiative to legalize casino gambling in Tamuning, reports Pacific Daily News. Around 70 percent of the 50,806 registered voters cast their votes with over 50 percent opposing Prop A, the gambling initiative.

Missouri voters will decide in November whether to boost casino taxes and repeal the state’s unique USD 500 gambling loss limit. The moves could raise more than USD 100 million in new taxes for schools statewide. Secretary of State Robin Carnahan announced that the casino measure was one of two initiatives that garnered enough petition signatures to appear on the November ballot.

After precincts in Alameda County ran out of ballots today, a judge ordered polling places with waiting voters to stay open until 10 p.m., the Alameda County Registrar of Voters said. An Alameda County Superior Court judge made the decision to remain open after several cities in the county - including Berkeley - had no real ballots for voters to use. Some voters used ballots that were paper copies of genuine ballots.

Sacramento County court judges ruled that voters should decide the fate of four newly approved gambling agreements between the state and four Southern California American Indian tribes. The Morongo Band of Mission Indians near Banning and the Pechanga Band of Mission Indians near Temecula filed separate lawsuits to stop the voter referenda against the agreements.

Saipan, CNMI (Marianas Variety) – Saipan, which rejected casino gaming overwhelmingly in 1979, has once again said "no" to it, but the same proposal finally got the required two-thirds support of Rota’s voters. The Saipan Casino Act initiative, which also required two-thirds of the total votes cast, received only 3,492 votes with 4,721, or 57 percent, voting "no." Saipan has 866 absentee voters. But on Rota, the casino initiative received 788 votes, or 84.5 percent, with only 144 voting against it.

Opponents of a nearly 30 percent expansion of tribal gambling began turning in petition signatures Friday for what could prove to be latest ballot fight over Indian casinos in California. A group opposing deals between four wealthy Southern California tribes and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said it has collected enough signatures to let voters decide if the agreements should be revoked. It said the rest of the signatures will be turned in by Monday to the secretary of state's office.

Casino dealers, frustrated that Nevada lawmakers wouldn't help them reverse Steve Wynn's controversial tip-sharing policy, are preparing to take their case to the voters. A group of Wynn Las Vegas dealers, working outside of their new labor union, says it will begin circulating petitions next year to qualify a voter initiative aimed at prohibiting a company from forcing rank-and-file dealers to share tips with supervisors.