TAMA -- Members of the Meskwaki Nation decided to maintain their status as owners of Iowa's only alcohol-free casino.

A ballot initiative asking whether the sale of beer and wine should be allowed in the casino went down to defeat Thursday. The tally was 166 no votes to 143 yes. Voter turnout was about 48 percent.

Sales would have been limited to certain areas of the casino, including the lounge, entertainment venues and banquet hall.

The issue was a hot topic around morning coffee at the tribal center ever since casino officials brought the issue forward earlier this year.

"I expected it to be closer than that," said Rhonda Pushetonequa, a tribal member.

Supporters of the initiative argue the lack of alcohol sales put the Meskwaki's gambling operation at a competitive disadvantage. And the expansion of gaming in Iowa puts additional pressure on the casino's traditional supremacy in the state.

Two casinos in Riverside and Northwood opened last year. This summer, the state's 20th casino -- the Isle of Capri in Waterloo -- is expected to open.

To counter those new threats, the Meskwaki casino expanded with a $111 million addition. Alcohol sales would have been another way to level the playing field and attract more people, according to those who supported the idea.

Two other casinos operated by American Indians in Iowa -- the Winna Vegas Casino in Sloan and the Casino Omaha in Onawa -- allow alcohol sales in certain areas.

Frank Black Cloud, a tribal council member, supported the measure.

"They were given a chance to vote and that's how they voted," he said.

Opponents claimed the sale of alcohol would have brought unwanted problems to the settlement.

Leo Dean Peters, a tribal member, was pleased with the results.

"The people of the Meskwaki are intelligent enough to realize it's not good for them," he said.

Peters, like many elders, was worried alcohol sales might have eroded the tribe's sovereignty. The concern was the tribe might have been held liable under the state's dram shop laws, which hold those who serve drinks accountable for harm caused by intoxicated people. The tribe would also have been required to get a state-issued liquor license.

"It just brings down the sovereign status," Peters said.

Pushetonequa thinks the issue of selling alcohol will be dead for a while following Thursday's defeat.

Contact Josh Nelson at (319) 291-1565 or josh.nelson@wcfcourier.com.