The Nebraska Senate General Affairs Committee recently voted 7-1 against advancing a constitutional amendment sponsored by state Senator Brett Lindstrom that would have legalized sports betting statewide.
Committee Chairman state Senator Tom Briese stated, “That is an expansion of gambling beyond what the voters approve and hence, I didn’t support it and it looks like virtually no one in the committee did either”
However, sports betting still would be allowed at racinos approved by voters last fall under enabling legislation, LB561, still awaiting a second round of debate. Briese explained the sports betting proposal in the enabling legislation is different from the measure his committee rejected.
“The sports betting in LB561 has been authorized and approved by the Nebraska voters because when they authorized games of chance at racetracks, they authorized sports betting at racetracks. So LB561 is limited only to the racetrack casinos,” he said.
Briese has proposed an amendment prohibiting athletes, coaches, referees and players from betting on games they’re involved in. Another possible amendment would eliminate so-called electronic keno from the measure, in which people can play keno on their phones in permitted locations using debit cards or apps, instead of having to pay cash for paper tickets to play. Keno operators said they needed it to compete with casinos.
Briese said, “There is a perception out there that electronic keno is an expansion of gambling beyond what the voters approved. I don’t necessarily agree with that perception, but there is that perception nonetheless. And so I think out of respect for those that harbor that belief, I think I want to pull it out. Plus, I’m not convinced either that electronic keno is going to help our keno operators to any measurable degree.” State Senator John Cavanaugh said he will try to keep permission for electronic keno in the legislation.
