Nebraska Legislature Discusses Sports Betting Bills

LINCOLN-(KFOR Feb. 10)-Two bills related to sports betting were introduced to the General Affairs Committee of the Nebraska Legislature Monday. Senator Justin Wayne of District 13 proposed LB971 and LB990, with the main goal of giving the state the ability to tax fantasy sports, outcome based wagers on sports, and poker-like card games.

Wayne’s main argument: the games described are not in fact gambling, but games of skill. Wayne said that in order to be successful in these games one must be experienced and knowledgeable. He compared running a fantasy sports team to running a real football team as a head coach.

Wayne said that the Nebraska Legislative body could find a source of revenue that is currently leaking out across the river to Iowa, where sports gambling of this nature is legal. Betting on youth and high school sporting events would not be legalized if passed.

Many opponents of the bills spoke Monday afternoon, including former Nebraska Head Football Coach and Congressman Tom Osborne.

One of the main arguments against the proposals heard throughout the hearing was that gambling harms the poor more than it benefits anyone.

Osborne said gambling creates nothing new of value and simply redistributes wealth from those who cannot afford to lose it. Les Bernal, National Director of Stop Predatory Gambling, said that the best way to create wealth is to save money, and gambling has the opposite effect.

Other opponents believed that because Iowa has legalized gambling is not a good enough reason for Nebraska to do the same. No supporters besides Wayne testified.

Wayne also introduced LR295CA, a constitutional amendment to allow the Legislature to authorize, regulate, and tax any game of chance.

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