From Reuters:

A federal judge on Thursday allowed Nevada’s Democratic Party to conduct voting to choose a U.S. presidential nominee in casino hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, a decision likely to boost Sen. Barack Obama.

For the first time, Nevada Democrats planned to set up nine locations for Saturday’s vote so casino shift workers — who are largely represented by a union that endorsed Obama — could express their preference for a Democratic Party candidate before the November presidential election.

A teachers’ group filed a lawsuit saying the exception for the casino workers’ vote was unfair, but Judge James Mahan of the U.S. District Court for Nevada disagreed and declined to issue a temporary injunction.

A large turnout of casino workers could boost Obama, of Illinois, in his tight race against New York Sen. Hillary Clinton because he has won the backing of the Culinary Union, whose 60,000 dishwashers, cooks, cleaners and other hotel service workers could swing the vote Obama’s way if they turn out in high numbers.