Online sports betting industry giants such as FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and Caesars are looking for a potential constitutional amendment that would allow sports bettors in the state to place bets online.
They’ve partnered with Ho-Chink Inc. and are currently collecting data from the public to estimate the level of interest and support regarding the initiative. The residents of Nebraska might vote for online gambling legalisation on a November ballot.
Expansion of Sports Betting Could Generate Significant Revenue for the State
At the moment, the residents of Nebraska are allowed to bet on sports, but their options are limited. They can only do so in person at casinos that provide such services. One of the trusted casinos is WarHorse Gaming, located in Lincoln and Omaha, but the idea is to make sports betting more accessible and convenient for everyone.
The CEO of Ho-Chunk, Lance Morgan, hopes the public will support online sports gambling in the poll so the coalition can move forward with the legislation.
Although Morgan was unwilling to share early polling results, he told the Journal Star that this was something people wanted:
Sports betting has become legal, and if you're gonna do it, people really — they don't want to drive if they can help it. They'd much rather do it from their phone. It’s a natural sort of expansion.
Not only that, but the coalition believes that introducing online sports betting could increase profits for the state. Nebraska would earn 20% of $1.5 billion, which Morgan predicts to be the annual industry worth.
Industry Leaders Face Challenges Ahead of Ballot
Despite the willingness to legalise online gambling, the coalition faces several challenges. Nebraska’s legislative session for new legislation introduction has ended, and lawmakers are unlikely to suspend the rules to take up the issue in 2024.
Still, online sports betting can be legalised this year. There’s an option to pursue a petition drive, during which the coalition would gather 120,000+ valid signatures by July 2024 for online sports gambling to reach the November ballot.
Although possible, a petition drive alone is expensive, potentially costing approximately $1 million. However, there are also costs involved with advertisements, lawyers and petitions, which, for legalised casino gambling in 2020, exceeded the $7 million mark.
Lastly, the coalition faces pressure from opponents of online gambling, such as Pat Loontjer, the executive director of Gambling With the Good Life, who has fought against the expansion of gambling in Nebraska.
Meanwhile, Nebraska’s Racing and Gaming Commission remains neutral but prepares for potential adaptations if voters get a chance to state their minds in November.
