Casino workers were given the ok this morning by a federal judge to hold Democratic primary caucuses in casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. Many of the workers who will be utilizing these caucus sites are represented by a union that endorsed Obama.

The state party approved the creation of 9 precinct sites in the casinos to make it easier for hotel workers to caucus during the day instead of in their neighborhoods. A suit was brought by the state’s teachers union alleging violations of federal equal protection guarantees.

This move apparently came on the heels of the Culinary Union — representing some 60,000 hotel service workers, any of whom work on the Vegas Strip — announcing their endorsement of Obama. And the teacher’s union has ties to Clinton, although her campaign denies involvement in the suit.

From Reuters:

Any member not backing the union choice would be visible — a dissent that would be especially clear in voting on the Strip instead of locations near homes.

The judge ruled that because this was a caucus, not a vote in an election, the rules could be set by the state Democratic Party as they pleased:

“The Democrats can set up their own rules just as the Republicans can,” Judge Mahan said. “It is not up to some federal judge to come along and say, I don’t like that.”