Legislation that would legalise online sports betting in Nebraska has advanced through the local Legislature. However, the gambling expansion is far from official and there is still time for it to fail.
Background on the Legislation
Sen. Eliot Bostar introduced Legislative Resolution 20CA in early 2025. If passed it would change the state constitution to allow for locals to place bets on sports from their phones. LR20CA went through the round of debate in the Nebraska Legislature with a 27-16 vote.
If the mobile sports betting legislation passes all legislative hurdles, it will be included in the 2026 ballot. Thus, allowing Nebraska voters to determine the future of mobile sports betting.
Nebraskans Already Have Access, says Bostar
The lawmaker noted that Nebraskans already bet on sports by going to land-based casinos or travelling to neighbouring states, or the worst option, playing on offshore betting sites.
Here’s what Bostar had to say on the topic of online sports wagering:
“I introduced this not because I think gambling is a great thing, not because I want everyone to do it, not because I think you should like it, or anyone should, but fundamentally because it's already happening. Our prohibition on mobile sports betting here in save Nebraska is not stopping anyone from engaging in that activity.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Jason Prokop has placed the sports betting expansion proposal high on the priority list for this legislative session. He talked about how local bettors would often go to Iowa and gather at the first off I-680 to place bets during the NFL season.
This is the full quote from Prokop:
“There's no reason why a corn field in Iowa, just off the interstate, should be touted as the busiest corn field in America. Senators, those are your and my constituents using this product, spending their money and paying taxes in another state, simply because our Constitution does not provide for it.”
Missing Out on Betting Revenue
Bostar continued by claiming that at the moment Nebraska is missing out on millions of tax revenue by not legalizing online sports wagers. In his estimations, the Cornhusker State would generate approximately US$32 million in tax revenue.
Instead, these funds are pocketed by the neighbouring Iowa, Colorado, Kansas, and Wyoming, which already allow regulated mobile sports bets.
In Bostar’s words, if passed, LR20CA could drastically boost the state revenue dedicated to property tax credit fund, and help the ongoing high property taxes issue.
Other Senators Oppose the Bill
However, Senators like Jared Storm are far from impressed with the proposed betting expansion. He noted that every time someone tried to pass a bill, they promised that it would lower property taxes.
This is how Storm sees the sports betting legislation and the possible legalisation of online sports wagers:
“I would view this as taxation by exploitation. We're going to exploit people to get tax revenue out of them, mainly young men. So you're going to have students at UNL, students at UNK, and other universities, who are going to gamble away their tuition on online sports betting. They're going to gamble away their rent online sports gambling. I think as state senators, we have to stand up for those people.”
In the meantime, Sen. Rob Clements cited a letter from a mother whose son suffered from gambling-related issues and sadly took his own life last year.
The letter also tells how the son lost US$10,000 in a single bet on the NHL Stanley Cup during the last 48 hours of his life. He also placed a couple of smaller ones in isolation on his phone to try and win some money back.
Debate on Personal Freedom
Nevertheless, Sen. Ben Hansen claimed that incidents like that are not enough to ban sports betting in the state. He said the following during the session:
“How far do we restrict people's liberties and their rights? This is always a tough one, because we do see some of the ills, the pitfalls some of our citizens can fall into. But do we take that right away from them for that reason?”
Additionally, Sen. Rick Holdcroft read a letter from former Congressman Tom Osborne, former Gov. Kay Orr, Sen. Pete Ricketts and State Auditor Mike Foley who are also against the sports betting digitization.
In Holdcroft’s words, the introduction of mobile sports wagers would transform every device into a gambling platform available 24/7, and sports betting could lead to an increase in gambling disorders. He is also concerned that it could be bad news for young men who are more susceptible to addictions.
Bill Doesn’t Lack Support Either
Despite the severe opposition, the bill also has supporters like Gov. Jim Pillen who supported legalising online sports betting in the past, and Sen. Tom Brandt said the legislation should be passed.
He believes that the state should allow Nebraskans to make a decision. Noting that there are consequences to bad decisions but at least the state allows for locals to make these decisions themselves and that mobile sports betting should also be the case.
Lastly, Senator Brad von Gillern expressed strong concerns over the sports betting proposal. He even described mobile sports betting as one of the most dangerous forms of gambling. This is what else he said on the matter:
“My opposition to LR20CA is not from a moral position against gambling as a whole. I provided tons of data to you that illustrates that this is a predatory process that primarily pursues young men,” he said.
What’s Next?
While senators continue to debate mobile sports betting, LR20CA is still in its early stages. Despite making its way through the first hurds, there are no details on how a potential mobile sports betting market would look like in Nebraska. Hence, raising concerns about regulation and consumer protection. Certainly, the topic will be further discussed in the legislature in the coming weeks.
