Legislative Bill Would Allow Sports Betting In Nebraska
Lincoln, NE (January 21, 2021) – Omaha State Senator Brett Lindstrom has proposed legislation to  allow voters to decide whether to bring sports wagering, including through mobile or any other Internet-connected device, to Nebraska.

“This bill (LR 26 CA) will let voters decide whether to bring Nebraska on equal footing with our neighboring states and keep Nebraskans’ tax dollars here at home. We know for a fact that many Nebraskans are traveling to Iowa to place bets on sporting events or using one of the many widely available mobile apps available from the illegal, untaxed and unregulated offshore market,”said Lindstrom.

Last November voters in Nebraska, by a 2:1 margin, approved three ballot initiatives to bring casino gaming to the state’s horse racing tracks. If Lindstrom’s legislative resolution is passed, Nebraskans will head to the polls in the general election in November 2022 and decide whether to amend the Constitution and permit sports wagering in the state. Lawmakers would then return to Lincoln and adopt a framework to establish consumer protections, rules and protocols for sports betting operators and how much the state will collect in taxes and fees for licenses.  Lindstrom pointed out in his announcement that none of those items are currently addressed or offered in the existing offshore illegal market.
Today, 22 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., have authorized sports wagering. Nearby Colorado and Iowa currently allow residents and visitors to place sports bets at casinos and through any Internet-connected device. Voters in South Dakota backed a sports betting ballot measure this past election cycle. Lawmakers in Missouri, Wyoming, Kansas and South Dakota will consider legislation this year to legalize sports betting, including with a mobile option.
Lindstrom said “It is estimated that Americans illegally wager an estimated $150 billion on sports each year. Since legalizing sports betting, Iowans have placed over $787 million in sports bets. If Nebraska moves forward with legalizing mobile sports betting, experts forecast that the state could generate nearly $9 million a year alone in taxes”.