Sports betting is now legal in Nebraska, but it lacks the infrastructure for anyone to take wagers. Cornhuskers wanting to be on the Super Bowl will have to cross state lines.
The Secretary of State’s Office last week published the rules for sports betting but it will be months before anyone can place a bet in one of the state’s casinos, which, along with horse racing tracks, are the only places sports betting is allowed.
The WarHorse Casino in Lincoln and Elite Casino Resorts in Grand Island, are the only operating casinos in Nebraska.
Nebraska, Racing and Gaming Executive Director Tom Sage told Yogonet that casinos must first be granted a vendor license and the Racing and Gaming Commission must inspect and approve their retail betting equipment.
Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association CEO Lynne McNally told the Lincoln Journal Star that it would be “a few weeks” before bets can be made at the WarHorse, adding that Lance Morgan, president, and CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc., one of the casino partners, is interviewing sports betting providers. Whomever he chooses would then have to apply to the commission.
The Star also reported that Grand Island Casino is looking at months, possibly until fall, before it takes sports bets.
The voters in 2020 approved casino initiatives that authorized the casinos. The measures set aside 70 percent of tax revenues for property tax relief. During three months of last year, when it only offered slot machines, WarHorse Lincoln generated almost $2 million for the fund. Once both casinos are finished building, they will offer slots, table games and sportsbooks.
