Keno growth in Orchard offset by drops in Royal, Ewing

Charitable gaming in Antelope and Holt counties played out like a split deck this past year, with sharp town-by-town swings reshaping the odds, even as statewide wagering slipped.

While Nebraska overall saw charitable gaming decline of about 2.6%, Holt County bucked the house with a sizable increase and a modest rise in keno play, even as Ewing's wagering dipped.

Antelope County, meanwhile, followed the statewide slide, posting a roughly 4% drop overall as Orchard's surge at the keno counter was offset by steep declines in Royal and a first-year showing in Clearwater, leaving the county's tota...