State lawmakers in Nebraska deliberated this week on the potential expansion of gambling to include mobile sports betting, with proponents emphasizing economic benefits and critics voicing concerns over its societal impact.
The debate centered around Legislative Resolution 20CA, a proposed constitutional amendment introduced by State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, which would allow voters to decide on the legalization of online sports wagering.
Currently, gambling in Nebraska is restricted to casino-style gaming at the state’s six horse racetracks, known as “racinos,” following voter approval in 2020. Bostar argued that permitting mobile sports betting would provide Nebraska with a new revenue stream, preventing the state from losing potential tax dollars to neighboring jurisdictions where online betting is already legal.
“Nebraska is currently missing out on a $1.6 billion state online industry and $32 million in annual tax revenue,” Bostar said, as per the Nebraska Examiner. “It instead goes to neighboring states like Iowa, Colorado, Kansas.”
He described the proposal as “an opportunity to create a new source of tax revenue for property tax relief.” However, the measure has drawn opposition from advocacy groups, including Stop Predatory Gambling, Gambling with the Good Life, and the Nebraska Family Alliance, which have collectively denounced the expansion as a “direct threat” to families in the state.
Critics argue that previous promises of tax relief from gambling revenues have failed to materialize. Pat Loontjer, executive director of Gambling with the Good Life, pushed back against claims that gambling revenue would lower property taxes.
“It’s been five years, and I don’t know how many of you have had your property taxes reduced, but no one that I’ve ever met,” Loontjer said, in reference to the landmark vote that approved casino gambling in 2025. “It’s a lie.”
The Nebraska Legislature’s General Affairs Committee also considered other gambling-related measures, including a bill that would lift restrictions on betting on Nebraska college games when the Cornhuskers play at home. Additional proposals discussed included minor adjustments to existing gambling laws, such as broadening the scope of where collected tax revenues could be allocated.
Advocates for the gambling expansion cited polling data indicating increasing public support for online sports betting. Sarah Meuli, Government Affairs Manager for DraftKings, pointed to Nebraska voters’ previous backing of in-person sports betting as evidence of growing enthusiasm.
“Five years ago, your constituents overwhelmingly passed in-person sports betting when they cast their vote yes on the 2020 ballot legalizing it with the state,” Meuli said. “That enthusiasm has only grown.”
However, opponents expressed concerns about the social impact of digital gambling. Nate Grasz, executive director of the Nebraska Family Alliance, cautioned against the potential for increased gambling addiction, particularly among young people.
“The house always wins,” Grasz said. “For the house to win, the people of Nebraska and our own children … have to lose.” Grasz also criticized legislators for advancing gambling-related measures through the General Affairs Committee rather than requiring proponents to gather signatures for a public vote.
Bostar acknowledged the challenges of pushing the bill forward, estimating a “6-out-of-10” chance that it would successfully advance from committee. No immediate action was taken on LR20CA or the other gambling-related proposals discussed during the hearing.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/03/11/97815-nebraska-debates-online-sports-betting-expansion-supporters-highlight-tax-revenue-potential
