Nebraska Getting Closer to Sports Betting
Residents of the state of Nebraska have been waiting for legal sports betting for at least two years, and it appears that it might finally happen. Voters in Nebraska approved games of chance in an election vote, and it gave the legislature the path to approve legal sports betting.
An official launch date has not been established, but one could be announced soon as things are trending that direction. Regulators in Nebraska approved the official rules and regulations, and those have now been sent to the Attorney General for the next step, and the governor must also sign off on them.
A complete list of the official rules has not been released to the public, but there have been some leaks along the way. Sports betting will only be available at casinos in the state as there won’t be any betting that is allowed online.
Retail Locations Setting Things Up
Nebraska is not a state with a large gaming presence right now, but more casinos are expected to open at some point. There is only one location that could currently accept wagers on sporting events, and that will give the War Horse Casino in Lincoln a huge advantage over the rest of the competition.
Ho-Chunk Inc. is also expected to apply for a sports betting license and it would look to establish a retail sportsbook at the Lincoln Race Course. In fact, Ho-Chunk is expected to open up a pair of other casinos in the state as it will try to take over the market.
Some of these future casinos are already starting to make plans for a sportsbook, while others will simply set up a kiosk on-site when betting begins. The state is missing out on some serious revenue this fall as the NFL is always the sport that attracts the most betting action.
Nebraska Football Off-Limits
Regulators in the state of Nebraska looked to both Colorado and Wyoming when putting together the rules, and that should lead to a long list of betting options. Both of those states give sportsbooks plenty of freedom, and that will be the case with the options in this state.
There will be one big difference, though, and it’s one that is going to keep the state of Nebraska from not reaching its full potential in sports betting. Betting on college sports is allowed, and that means that no one can place a wager on the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team.
The ban on college betting will appease the Big Ten Conference as those athletic directors wanted this ban in every state with legal sports betting. Nebraska doesn’t have any professional sports teams, though, and Nebraska football and Creighton basketball are two of the biggest draws.
