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Nebraska Becomes the 34th US State to Debut Regulated Sports Betting
By Jeff Osienya Jun 25, 2023 IndustryAfter 2 years of waiting, Nebraska’s legal sports betting scene finally went live on Thursday. However, sports wagering is only legal in sportsbooks hosted in land-based casinos. Mobile gaming isn’t legal yet, and there isn’t any sign of that happening.On Thursday, the Cornhusker State officially introduced sports betting at brick-and-mortar casinos within its jurisdiction. The state welcomed this new development with lots of fanfare especially given that the then-Nebraska Governor, Pete Rickets, put pen to paper on the law that legalized in-person betting two years ago. This new development means that Nebraska is now the 34th state in the USA to launch legalized sports betting after the WarHorse Casino welcomed the activity on June 22nd.
In-person sports betting was well received by WarHorse, the first sportsbook to launch in the Cornhusker State. Lance Morgan, the sportsbook’s CEO, remarked:
Quote“Nebraskans have been asking for the opportunity to wager on sports since the ballot initiatives were passed in 2020. We’re thrilled to be the first casino in the state to offer sports betting. Bettors will be able to place wagers on a wide variety of sports and events, much more than just the major sports.”
Nebraska Senator Jane Raybould also expressed delight about the sports betting debut, particularly since the maiden casino s located in her district. She said in part:
Quote“We are so grateful and thankful for all the sales tax revenue it generates. We know it has been a very challenging road to even get to this point in time.”
Ashland, Nebraska resident Dave Anderson had the privilege of executing the first wager in the State at WarHorse Casino. He had the honor of placing the inaugural bet in the state, a $220 wager on underdog Nebraska Cornhuskers starting the college football season with a win over host Minnesota Golden Gophers on August 31st. It remains to be seen whether the upset will be a reality.
Nebraska’s Two-Year Sports Betting Journey
After the PASPA was repealed on May 14th, 2018, US states were free to have their individual say on the status of legal sports betting within their jurisdiction. Right then, Nebraska started taking steps to bring regulated sports betting within its state lines.
Two years after PASPA’s repeal in 2020, Nebraskan citizens held a referendum on whether or not to allow retail casinos to launch in-person legal sports betting. Thankfully, Nebraskans voted ‘Yes’ on the referendum, which kicked off the legalization process of in-person betting in the state.
Come March 2021, LB 561, which outlined the rules that must be adhered to for retail sports betting in the state, sailed through the legislative process. A couple of days later, Governor Pete Ricketts officially signed the bill into law. As things have unfolded, it took another two years before the law came into effect.
The new law approved in-person wagering at designated approved racetracks or casinos. So, wagers can only be placed at kiosks in designated wagering facilities or any other facility identified by Nebraska Gaming Commission as a suitable sports betting point. Finally, the tax rate was set at 20% on all casino gaming revenue, including the proceeds from sports wagering. Meanwhile, mobile gaming is illegal in Nebraska, as is betting on in-state college teams.
Football Betting to Lead Other Sports in the Cornhusker State
Nebraskans love college football. As such, it isn’t really a surprise that the maiden wager placed when sports betting became official recently was a college football bet. Likewise, the NFL is also incredibly popular in the Cornhusker State.
WarHorse sportsbook manager Jadon Johnson even pointed out that football would be the ‘bread and butter’ of sportsbooks throughout the state. The only slight challenge may be the residents getting acquainted with the new sports betting industry. However, Johnson anticipates that it won’t be long before the majority of Nebraskans get the hang of things. He added:
Quote“Some of the, I know, have never legally placed a bet. We can teach them over the next few weeks, so when it comes time to bet on the Big Red, all the away games, of course, they’ll be able to do so.”
Well, given that the football season is two months away from kick-off, Johnson and his team have ample time to perfect their services to the market. Nebraska sports bettors should thus face little to no qualms during the active season as everything will have been streamlined by then. Johnson further stated:
Quote“This will give our team a lot of valuable experience. What we’re looking forward to is getting to college football and NFL football.”
The Outlook of Nebraska’s Sports Betting Sector
While Nebraska’s giant leap certainly deserves to be celebrated, it must be said it is coming quite late compared to other states in the country. Most states nationwide have also established mobile sports betting, which seems to have taken a backseat for now in Nebraska.
There are currently no timelines for when mobile sports betting will be operational in the state. Still, it certainly needs to be soon to prevent Nebraska from falling further behind its neighboring states in this regard. That said, there is a ton of confidence in the industry about the climate of the general sports betting scene in the Cornhusker State.
Tom Sage, the Executive Director of the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, expressed optimism in the industry and hoped that players would abide by the new rules. He also stated:
Quote“We urge the public to refrain from engaging in sports betting through non-regulated online and mobile platforms, as it remains illegal in Nebraska.”
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