Kearney council awards Keno contract to Big Red Keno after contested public hearing

The Kearney City Council voted to award the city’s Keno lottery operating contract to EHPV Lottery Services LLC, doing business as Big Red Keno, following a recommendation from a nine-member review committee and more than an hour of public comment at the June meeting. Council members approved the committee’s recommendation by roll call. The contract will replace the current operator when the existing agreement expires in mid-August.

The committee that reviewed proposals and conducted interviews included four city staff members, two council members and three citizen members from the city’s Keno/community betterment committee. City Manager Brenda Jensen told the council the solicitation began in April and the committee scored proposals and interviews on eight criteria including experience, payout structure, technology use and vision for Keno in Kearney. Big Red scored highest on the committee’s weighted 40-point scale (36.4 points versus 31.5 for incumbent Kearney Gaming and 22.5 for Community First), Jensen said, and the committee recommended Big Red for award.

Why it matters: Keno proceeds are routed into a dedicated community-betterment fund that supports nonprofit and local projects, and the selection of an operator affects how the game is run, how quickly players can buy tickets at bars, whether a local “live ball” draw remains, and projected…