CYPRESS : Group to Continue to Fight Gambling

An organization that last year successfully opposed a proposal for card club gambling at Los Alamitos Race Course is continuing to work as a “watchdog organization against any expansion of gambling,” officials announced recently.

The organization, Cypress Citizens Against Card Clubs, successfully worked against Measure A last year. That initiative would have allowed operation of a card club at the race course.

The campaign for the card club was heavily financed by the pro-gambling interests and was trounced at the polls last June.

Tim Keenan, a spokesman for Cypress Citizens Against Card Clubs, said that the organization is remaining vigilant against expanded gambling.

Keenan said the group is marking June 8 this year as a “victory anniversary.”

“We still think there are dangers (for possible expanded gambling) from such things as video poker,” he said. “Our organization is going to continue, and we’ll be endorsing candidates for the City Council in the November election.”

He said the defeat of the card club proposal last year shows that rank-and-file residents of Cypress are opposed to any forms of expanded gambling.

“Members of our organization will be active in city elections, and we’ll be appearing before and speaking to meetings of the City Council,” Keenan said.

Keenan said about 250 volunteers worked for Cypress Citizens Against Card Clubs during its battle against Measure A last year.