Nebraska Is a Step Closer to Legalizing Mobile Sports Betting

Nebraska is in the midst of another legalization fever, with lawmakers narrowly agreeing on Monday to push Legislative Resolution 20CA forward in a 27-16 vote. However, the 49-member body is still riveted by division in the matter, as the constitutional amendment, backed by State Sen. Eliot Bostar, is far from a sure thing.

Proposed Bill Gets Off to a Slow Start, More Voting Needed

In fact, the next round of voting would require at least 33 votes to move the measure forward because of the filibuster rule. Sen. Bostar has urged his fellow lawmakers to ensure that state residents are allowed to make the choice for themselves, as Legislative Resolution 20CA seeks to put the matter on the November 2026 election ballot and let residents decide.

Even more importantly, argues Sen. Bostar, state residents are already placing sports wagers with the exception that they do so by traveling to neighboring states, and revenue that could be going to Nebraska slips through its porous borders, adds the lawmaker. His is one of at least two proposals pushing for mobile sports betting.

This is largely the opinion shared by other backers of sports legalization in Nebraska. Sen. Dunixi Guereca, who lives close to the Iowa-Nebraska border, has similarly said that he could see people hopping over next door to place a sports flutter before coming back, echoing Sen. Bostar’s opinion that Nebraska should be able to retain that money within its own borders instead.

Furthermore, Sen. Bostar believes that by introducing mobile sports betting, the state could be adding $32 million in revenue. The state already hosts several land-based locations, including the WarHorse Casino in Lincoln and Omaha, the Caesars Sportsbook at Harrah’s Columbus Racing & Casino, and the Elite Sportsbook at Grand Island Casino Resort.

These properties would find it easy to “skin up,” meaning host digital licenses that allow players from all over the state of Nebraska to connect and place a wager remotely instead of having to leg it to a physical location or a neighboring state. Sen. Bostar does not expect land-based revenue to hurt as a result of this move, but the overall performance for the industry to increase.

Lawmakers Fear Mobile Sports Betting to Hurt Young People

Yet, there is strong opposition against mobile sports betting all the same. Sen. Brad von Gillern has insisted that lawmakers should pay attention to the negative impact of gambling rather than focusing on ill-defined material gains. As Gillern told his colleagues, “Please don’t sell out our young people for property tax relief.”

Some, such as Sen. Mike Jacobson, have said that he is personally against the expansion and legalization of mobile sports gambling in Nebraska but that ultimately, it should be the people who decide. Legalizing mobile sports betting in Nebraska is a possibility, but nothing is certain.