Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts has signed a gaming expansion bill, one that includes sports betting. The bill includes a constitutional amendment to allow for the expansion of gaming in the state. It also creates a State Racing and Gaming Commission to oversee gaming regulations, according to Legal Sports Report.
Sports betting will be permitted in designated areas within casinos, even though it will reduce the number of bets as bettors travel to nearby states to place bets using mobile phones.
In related news, the Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association filed for a permit May 25 to build a temporary casino in the simulcast building at Lincoln Race Course. The venue, which will house 305 slot machines, will remain in operation until the WarHorse Casino is built. The temporary quarters could be in operation within six months.
The permanent casino could take as long as 24 months once construction begins, according to Lincoln Journal-Star.
The $220 million WarHorse will feature about 1,200 gaming stations, a 196 room hotel, event space, as many as half a dozen restaurants and a spa.
Tom Sage, director of the Nebraska Gaming and Racing Commission, said it will begin evaluating proposed rules and regulations received from gaming consultants.
With a process that includes a public hearing on the proposed rules, a review by the Attorney General’s office and approval by the governor, casino operators would have to wait until at least September to apply for a license.
