Nebraska Gambling Bill Passes, Restricts College Sports Betting

• The Nebraska sports betting bill has passed and will expand local legal gambling to include legal sports betting.
• The bill puts restrictions on college betting.
• The bill passed with a 44-3-2 vote.

LINCOLN, Neb. – Regulated sports betting in Nebraska will soon become a reality after LB 561 passes to a 44-3-2 vote in the unicameral Nebraska Legislature.

The bill will expand legal Nebraska gambling to include sports betting, but the bill also holds a restriction on college betting.

Per the bill, no regulated sportsbook in Nebraska can offer betting lines on in-state collegiate games, meaning fans of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers won’t be able to place action on home games.

Sports Betting Coming To Nebraska

LB 531 approves retail sports betting in the Cornhusker State and is only awaiting the signature of Governor Pete Ricketts to officially pass.

Local voters approved sports betting and an expansion on casino gambling during the 2020 November elections.

While Gov. Ricketts has been opposed to expanding legal gambling he is not expected to go against voters' wishes and veto the bill. Instead, lobbyists expect the bill to be signed before the June 2 deadline.

It took a while for the final bill to be completed. LB 531 is a combination of LB 560 and LB 561 which were presented to lawmakers back in March.

This complete bill is the final compromise between the two previous bills and the main focus of the LB 531 is to bring a local legal sports betting to Nebraska players.

The restrictions on college sports betting are possibly one of the biggest blows in this bill. Nebraska was ranked second in New York Times The Places in America Where College Football Means the Most, only behind Alabama.

The local college sports fanbase will not be allowed to bet on teams who are playing in Nebraska or any game involving Nebraska schools either home or away games.

While sports betting will still likely see major success in the state, the lack of betting options for collegiate events will surely be a major blow to sportsbooks.

Nebraska sports betting will launch once legislators are able to iron out the final details of the regulations. First, Gov. Ricketts must sign the sports betting bill.