Sports betting amendment advances to next round in Nebraska

Legislators continue to discuss possible legalization.

Lawmakers in Nebraska have continued debating whether the state should expand gambling within its borders, according to a KETV local news report.

A proposal to amend the state’s constitution and allow sports wagering in Nebraska has advanced to the next round of discussion.

More specifically, this amendment would permit licensed racetracks to give their patrons access to online sports betting.

However, the proposal has been met with some pushback from lawmakers.

Nebraska Senator Brad Von Gillern pointed out some concerns to local reporters.

He said, “The relationship between online sports gambling addiction and financial struggle is well documented and increasingly concerning, especially with the rapid growth of legal online betting platforms.”

But the bill’s sponsor, Senator Eliot Bostar told local news he feels voters believe the rewards for expanding gambling throughout the state outweigh the risks.

He commented, “This is an opportunity to create a new source of revenue for property tax relief.

“In fact, Nebraskans are already in favor of the measure. Almost 60% of voters support legalizing mobile sports betting, especially when they know it would generate $32m annually in state revenue.”

In May 2018, the US Supreme Court ruled to overturn a federal law banning nationwide sports betting that was established in the early 1990s.

To date, 39 US states and the District of Columbia have passed laws to legalize some form of sports wagering during the past seven years.

Online sports betting is currently legal in more than 30 states. However, only seven states allow at least one form of online gaming.

Laura Mack

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