Key points:
- Gambling is legal in the state’s six racinos
- There has not been a change in the state’s gaming laws since 2020
Lawmakers in Nebraska are considering a bill that would expand gambling in the state to include mobile sports wagering, according to a local report in the Nebraska Examiner.
Legislators recently heard from gambling lobbyists who say legal gaming in Nebraska should include mobile sports betting.
However, those against expansion claim this is “an industry driven by greed.”
State Sen. Eliot Bostar has proposed Legislative Resolution 20CA, a measure that could amend the state constitution and allow players to place their sports wagers online.
Nebraska’s current laws on the books permit casino-style gambling within its six horse racetracks, or racinos, a measure voters said yes to in 2020.
Bostar told local news expanding gambling to include mobile sports wagers could potentially bring revenue increases for the state.
He commented, “Nebraska is currently missing out on a $1.6bn state online industry and $32m in annual tax revenue, which instead goes to neighboring states like Iowa, Colorado, Kansas.”
He went on to add that this proposal would be “an opportunity to create a new source of tax revenue for property tax relief.”
However, opponents said they have concerns that expanded gambling could represent a “direct threat” to Nebraska families, the local report said.
In related news, the Mississippi House Ways and Means Committee has advanced a bill that would increase taxes on casinos.
If passed, casino taxes would increase from 12% to 16%.
Ways and Means Chairman Trey Lamar said his bill is designed to “recoup the tens of millions of dollars a year Mississippi is ‘losing’ from not legalizing online betting.”
