More states have started introducing sports betting to the public with Delaware, Vermont and North Carolina becoming the latest to do so. A handful of other states are looking to move forward with betting legislation, with Nebraska being among them. Nebraska has come close to passing online sports betting, and they aren’t giving up. What comes next?
Sports betting is legal in Nebraska, but only at the state’s casinos. Mobile sports betting was part of the original legislation put to voters in 2020, but lawmakers had to remove that part of the bill in order to get public support. Now, state Sen. Eliot Bostar is seemingly leading the charge to bring online sports betting to Nebraska. Bostar introduced legislation in January which would allow Nebraskans to bet on sports online. According to Bostar, Nebraska could see $1.6 billion in online sports betting activity and $32 million in annual tax revenue with the introduction of mobile betting. The public bet more than $40 million combined on NFL, college football, college basketball and MLB in 2024, according to the state’s annual Racing and Gaming Commission report.
Another consideration for Nebraska lawmakers is bettors moving to other states in order to make wagers. GeoComply SVP Lindsay Slater testified at a hearing and said the location software tracked 42,000 border crossings from Nebraska into neighboring states where online sports betting is legal, with 90% crossing into Iowa.
Bostar’s legislation, LR20CA, would need support from 30 of Nebraska’s 49 state senators to pass and pose the question to voters on the 2026 ballot. Sports Betting Alliance lobbyist Sean Ostrow said 59% of Nebraskans would support mobile sports betting, according to polling data, and that number jumps to 65% when the proposal is for tax revenue collected from gambling to reduce property taxes. If voters do pass the measure, it would allow casino operators to partner with a national sportsbook to offer mobile sports betting.
However, there is significant opposition to the proposal. The Nebraska Senate’s General Affairs Committee received three submissions in support of Bostar’s legislation, while there were 51 submissions opposing it. Nebraska Family Alliance executive director Nate Grasz raised concerns about teenage gambling while Gambling with the Good Life executive director Pat Loontjer said state revenue from mobile sports betting was unlikely to make an impact on property taxes.
There were other bills related to sports gambling, including proposals to legalize gambling on in-state college sports and fantasy sports. The committee did not take any immediate action on any of the proposals, so the future of mobile sports betting in Nebraska remains unclear.
