Nebraska online sports betting bill passes first approval stage following Senate vote
Eliot Bostar’s proposed legislation passes with a 27-16 vote, with two further hurdles left to clear before state residents are given the chance to vote for legalisation
Nebraska’s proposed online sports betting legislation passed its first hurdle after being approved by the state’s Senate, giving further hope for US online sports betting expansion in the near future.
Introduced by Democrat Senator Eliot Bostar, the legislation, LR20CA, passed with a 27-16 vote, with six members abstaining. The bill will now be sent to the Enrollment and Review Initial stage.
After that, lawmakers will get another chance to debate the legislation and suggest potential amendments as part of the Select File stage.
If those hurdles are cleared, the bill will then head for final reading for and put to another vote before being signed into law by Governor Jim Pillen.
From there, the bill would be included on the ballot for Nebraska’s 2026 general election.
The proposal would amend the state’s current Racetrack Gaming Act to allow casinos to offer online sports betting to Nebraska residents.
Per the bill, 44.5% of revenue generated from online sports betting would be funneled towards Nebraska’s Environmental Trust, with another 44.5% used for education. Then, 10% will go to the Nebraska State Fair Board and 1% to the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund.
The Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund would also secure the first $500,000 of tax proceeds from operators’ online operations.
Retail sports betting is currently legal in the Cornhusker State with a 20% tax rate.
Should the online market follow the same formula, it would put Nebraska’s online sports betting tax rate in line with the likes of Massachusetts, Ohio, and Tennessee.
State lawmakers discussed introducing online sports betting legislation towards the end of 2024, although plans were shelved until the start of 2025.