Nebraska will no longer pursue legal online sports betting.
Sen. Eliot Bostar (D-District 29) on April 23 withdrew LR 20CA after he realized he did not have the necessary support to overturn a filibuster orchestrated by Sen. Brad von Gillern (R-District 04).
Bostar said he had 32 votes, one off of the 33 he needed.
Coming up short
Legal Sports Report noted that Bostar attached himself to the online sports betting push after it gained momentum last year.
Nebraska is one of just 11 states that have not legalized mobile sports betting since the U.S. Supreme Court opened the door to legalization in 2018. The Cornhusker State has had legal in-person sports wagering at casinos since 2021.
Gov. Jim Pillen in 2024 signaled his support for online sports bettinf legalization and suggested that it be accomplished via a priority bill during the 2025 legislative session. Bostar helped the proposal pass the first of three votes, 27-16, but ran into trouble during the second vote.
The 32 votes Bostar claimed to have were enough to reach the 30 that were required to advance the bill to the third and final vote. However, the required vote count increased when a filibuster was presented, and the measure came up just short.
Several critics spoke during the four-hour filibuster, citing the potential for an increase in gambling addiction and drug abuse, financial issues and suicides.
Legal sports betting can still be presented in a new bill, but there will need to be amendments and concessions to garner the support Bostar did not have during the filibuster.
What could have been and what will be?
Had Bostar found the 33rd vote he needed and gotten LR 20CA to pass the legislature, Nebraska voters would’ve been given the opportunity to decide the fate of legal sportsbooks at the ballot.
Pending voter approval, online sportsbooks would’ve been granted the rights to partner with retail casinos throughout the state. Bostar argued during a committee hearing this would save Nebraska up to $32 million in taxes every year due to black market gambling and residents traveling to other nearby states to place their wagers.
The majority of the state funding generated through mobile sports betting would’ve been directed to the Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund.
Despite the successful filibuster, the fight against sports betting may not be over. Sen. Jon Cavanaugh (D-District 09) conceded that sportsbooks could lead a ballot initiative to legalize online betting, similar to what happened in neighboring Missouri, which cost betting companies and professional sports teams more than $40 million.
“I’ve got a lot of heartburn about mobile sports betting,” Cavanaugh said. “But if we don’t do this, they will put it on the ballot. And it will be more expansive than this.”