Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Nebraska?
Yes.
Nebraska sports betting is legal.
The launch of sports betting in Nebraska is likely to be delayed until at least 2024.
Nebraska sports bettors eagerly await the day that they can physically place a sports wager in the state. Following the legalization of sports betting in Nebraska, many residents believed it would be a short wait. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
In a classic example of putting the cart before the horse, sports betting is legal in NE but there isn’t an infrastructure in place to accept wagers.
Making matters worse, the sports betting landscape is murky, at best, for 2023. It’s unclear as to when residents of the Cornhusker State can actually make in-person sports bets and where.
Additionally, lawmakers haven’t even passed online gambling laws, which have prevented operators from setting up shop in the state and taking sports bets.
Nebraska Governor, Pete Ricketts, signed the sports betting bill two years ago, when he approved LB561 on May 25, 2021.
The Nebraska sports betting bill legalized enforcement of sports wagering and gambling activities at licensed racetracks in the state. However, sports bettors in NE are still waiting for the opportunity to put the law into action.
LB561 only included language for retail sports betting and provisions for in-person wagering, not online wagering. Coming from a state that didn’t have a casino that could support sports betting, they dropped the ball in this respect.
With the construction of WarHorse Casinos progressing in Lincoln and Omaha, there’s a small chance that the Cornhusker State will see in-person sports betting taking place in 2023.
At the time of completion, the WarHorse Casino in Omaha is expected to cost $220 million. Plans for the property include 1,200 slot machines, 20 table games, horse racing, multiple restaurants, and most importantly, a sportsbook.
Further pointing to the mess that Nebraska finds itself in, is the fact that even if lawmakers allowed temporary casinos to take sports bets in 2023, there are no rules set by the state for sportsbook operators.
Let’s hope things turn around by 2024.
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