The Nebraska Senate General Affairs Committee voted 5-1 to forward to the full Senate a bill merging LB 560 and LB 561, adding details to casino gaming initiatives voters passed in November. Those included a constitutional amendment allowing casino gambling at licensed horseracing tracks and laws regulating the casinos, and earmarking most of the tax revenue for property tax relief.
The initiatives didn’t include sports betting but the committee chairman, state Senator Tom Briese, who sponsored the bills, said the initiative language allowing for all “games of chance” at the racinos could pave the way for sports wagering.
Under the merged bill, sports betting would be limited to designated areas of the casinos; prohibit bets on Nebraska college or university sports; and prohibit bets on athletes under 18 years participating in international sporting events like the Olympics. The legal betting age would be raised from 19 to 21to match the age limit at the casinos.
The bill also would not allow using credit cards for gambling in the casinos. It would create a self-banning list and create new crimes for cheating, manipulating slots machines or underage gambling. The legislation also would require background checks for people applying for gaming operator licenses.
Under the proposal, the existing State Racing Commission would merge with a new Nebraska Gaming Commission to create a 7-member State Racing and Gaming Commission.
In addition, an amendment added to the package would help keno operators compete for players by allowing players to join a keno game through an electronic app as long as they were physically located in a place where keno was allowed.
