A bill to legalize Nebraska online sports betting is making its rounds in the state legislature.
Legislative Resolution 20CA, proposed by Sen. Eliot Bostar (D-29), would allow local voters to determine the fate of online sports betting at the November 2026 ballot. The proposal advanced past a first-round debate, 27-16.
An uphill battle still remains, though, as one critic claimed they would filibuster the next stage of debate and prevent the bill from getting the necessary 33 votes.
Advantages of legalization
One of the primary motivations for Bostar is simple, and it is a common sentiment shared by pro-gambling legislators.
“Nebraska is currently missing out on a $1.6 billion state online industry and $32 million in annual tax revenue, which instead goes to neighboring states like Iowa, Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming," Bostar said, per Nebraska Public Media. “Legalizing online mobile sports betting through LR20CA could significantly boost state revenues dedicated to the property tax credit fund, helping to address the burden of high property taxes.
“Let’s not leave this money on the table.”
Another reason that Bostar and others are pushing for the adoption of legal sports betting is to help reduce the unregulated gambling market.
As is the case in many states without legal sports betting, locals with a gambling itch resort to unregulated offshore sportsbooks. These platforms don’t offer basic consumer protections and can lead to increases in crime such as fraud.
“I introduced this not because I think gambling is a great thing, not because I want everyone to do it, not because I think you should like it, or anyone should, but fundamentally because it's already happening,” Bostar said. "Our prohibition on mobile sports betting here in the state of Nebraska is not stopping anyone from engaging in that activity.”
Overcoming opposition
Bostar is not the only voice pushing the bill forward. Sen. Jason Prokop (D-27) said that the ballot initiative is his priority this legislative session.
“There's no reason why a cornfield in Iowa, just off the interstate, should be touted as the busiest cornfield in America,” he said, referring to bettors who drive across the Mormon Bridge from Omaha to place online sports bets at the first exit. “Senators, those are your and my constituents using this product, spending their money and paying taxes in another state, simply because our Constitution does not provide for it.”
Nearly all of Nebraska’s neighbors authorized online sports betting.
Bordering states Colorado, Wyoming, Missouri, and Iowa all have legal online wagering markets. South Dakota is the only state with which Nebraska shares a border and an anti-online gambling policy.
Sen. Brad von Gillern, who threatened the filibuster, believes that the final vote will come down to the final tally.
“My opposition to LR20CA is not from a moral position against gambling as a whole. I provided tons of data to you that illustrates that this is a predatory process that primarily pursues young men,” he said.
Supporters of the bill can cut the debate and move to a vote after four hours compared to eight during the first debate.