The Fate of a Nebraska Online Sports Betting Bill May Already be Sealed

Efforts to legalize Nebraska online sports betting have reached a turning point. You might even call it a conclusion.

And proponents of online sports betting in Nebraska aren’t going to be happy.

Senator Eliot Bostar recently ended his push to expand legal gambling in The Cornhusker State. As always, the factors driving this type of decision. However, in a nutshell, it appears his measure Legislative Resolution 20CA (LR 20CA) lacks the necessary . Here is Justin Byers of SBC Americas with more on the situation:

“On Wednesday, Sen. Eliot Bostar ended his legislative attempt to authorize a constitutional amendment that would have put online sports betting on the ballot for the 2026 general election. Bostar’s measure, LR20CA, was introduced in January and later ed out of the General Affairs Committee after garnering bipartisan . Earlier this month, LR20CA was approved by Nebraska’s unicameral legislature by a 27-16 vote in its first of three requisite full-chamber floor votes. The measure failed to maintain its momentum on Wednesday with the majority of lawmakers voicing their opposition to the bill. The disapproval led Bostar to pull the measure due to a lack of Senator .”

This end result isn’t entirely unexpected. Then again, it wasn’t considered a foregone conclusion, either. Interest in Nebraska online sports betting seemed legitimately high a few months ago. The Cornhusker State even discussed it over the summer, during an emergency legislature meeting. Nothing came about, but it laid the groundwork for 2025 discussions. Or so it seemed.

As ever, following the fallout of another failed attempt, ers are left to ask the same question: Why? 

Here is Why So Many Lawmakers Oppose Nebraska Online Sports Betting

Policymakers continue to hem and haw over Nebraska online sports betting due to socioeconomic concerns. More specifically, as Byers notes, opponents spotlight the prospective rise of problem gambling, bankruptcy, and even drug abuse.

The latter concern is eye-opening, because it’s not a typical one. Multiple studies already posit that the rise of online sports betting in the United States correlates with upticks in problem gambling and bankruptcy. Drug abuse has not received the same level of attention, at least not within mainstream discussions just yet. 

That doesn’t mean it’s inaccurate. On the contrary, all concerns that emphasize the well-being of the general population warrant further discussion. To the best of our knowledge, though, we aren’t sure whether Nebraska online sports betting would result in a noticeable uptick of drug abuse. And if it does, it raises the question of whether that was adequately considered when The Cornhusker State approved on-site wagering roughly a half-decade.

At any rate, these concerns are widespread enough for Senator Bostar to back off his current campaign altogether. But he may have provided a pathway for future attempts to legalize Nebraska online sports betting.

The Latest Online Sports Betting Bill in Nebraska May Serve as a Future Benchmark

When you dig into the details of LR 20CA, its structure appears to check many of the boxes other states have deemed important. Here is a brief overview of the most important particulars:

• The number of Nebraska online sports betting licenses available would have been capped at six. This is done to drum up enough interest in bidding and applying for wagering rights.
• Nebraska online sportsbooks would be required to partner with tribal casinos and licensed racetracks operating in the state. This is a critical element of any expansion, as it preserves the business model of tribal nations that to this point hold gaming exclusivity.
• Revenue from Nebraska online sports betting was slated to go toward educational programs and the Nebraska Environmental Trust, which focuses on conservation.

Directing funds toward education and the environment was considered a stroke of minor genius. Using profits from a divisive industry to help almost-universally celebrated initiatives has proven to curry public favor in other states. 

Of course, more work clearly needs to be done. LR 20CA would have garnered more on the Senate floor if it was considered the perfect solution. Still, this structure at least gives Nebraska lawmakers something of which to build in future discussions, which are expected to resume in earnest next year.

Will Voters the Eventual Introduction of Online Sports Betting?

Given the latest emphasis on Nebraska online sports betting expansion, it stands to reason a bill will eventually make it onto the electoral ballot. From there, though, it will require voter approval. Whether that future initiative receives it remains an open question.

Generally speaking, experts believe Nebraskans would green light online sports betting. On-site wagering is largely well received by the population. 

There is also enough interest in voters that sports betting sites in the United States are expected to consider funding a public-back proposal. In this scenario, companies like FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and others would essentially bankroll a large-scale petition. If they get 10 percent of the voting population to it, then the state will, it seems, put it on an electoral ballot. 

While this course of action isn’t what you’d call typical, it is far from unprecedented. The legalization of sports betting in Missouri happened earlier this year under similar circumstances. 

Now, is the Nebraska online sports betting market lucrative enough for operators to mirror this approach in The Cornhusker State. That is another open question. But again, the interest in online wagering from stakeholders, policymakers and Nebraskans themselves is clearly there. It stands to reason expansion into mobile betting will come at some point—even if it’s not imminent.

Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can find one that works for all of your sports betting needs: