Sports Betting unlikely to feature in Nebraska anytime soon

Sports betting supporters in Nebraska will have to wait a considerable length of time before they witness a local sportsbook marketplace. Lawmakers in the mid-western state are yet to debate the regulatory framework for a nascent sport wagering industry, making even a 2023 go-live date unlikely.

Even when the issue reaches the state’s political chambers, a complex legislative system will undoubtedly slow down the pace of any proposed bill. Back in November 2020, local residents voted in favour of legalizing casino gaming across the Cornhusker State. However, Governor Peter Ricketts took approximately five months to authorise the rules of engagement for gaming after the state’s Racing and Gaming Commission forwarded a resultant set of regulations last December. Optimists would suggest that this timeline, applied in the context of creating a sports betting sector, could result in Nebraskan operators taking wagers in spring next year. However, given the state’s bureaucratic procedures, it’s far more likely that a marketplace will fail to materialise before the end of 2023.

Nevertheless, the introduction of a racino at the end of the month, which will be located at state capital venue Lincoln Racetrack, will give stakeholders some encouragement that progress within the gambling sector is still on the agenda.

All but one of Nebraska’s neighbouring six states have embraced sports betting since the overturning of historic PASPA laws in 2018. In total, 32 jurisdictions across the United States now have regulated sportsbooks in operation.