Amendment authorizing mobile sports betting offered

The General Affairs Committee heard testimony March 10 on a proposal to allow Nebraskans to place bets on sports with their mobile devices.

LR20CA, sponsored by Lincoln Sen. Eliot Bostar, would place a proposed constitutional amendment on the 2026 general election ballot.

If the measure is approved by voters, authorized gaming operators conducting sports wagering within a licensed racetrack enclosure could allow an individual to place sports wagers by means of a mobile or electronic platform offered by or in partnership with the operator as long as the individual is within Nebraska’s borders when the bet is placed.

Although expanded gambling could cause “real harms,” Bostar said, thousands of Nebraskans already use mobile platforms to bet on sports, many of them driving to Iowa or neighboring states where it is legal.

In the 2024-25 football season, he said, there were more than 83,000 active mobile sports wagering accounts in Nebraska, a 63% increase from the previous season.

By prohibiting mobile sports betting, Bostar said, Nebraska currently is losing out on approximately $32 million in annual tax revenue that could be used for property tax relief or programs to help problem gamblers.

“The demand for mobile sports betting is clear,” he said, “and it’s in our best interest to regulate and benefit from it.”

Testifying in support of LR20CA was Lance Morgan, CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc., parent company of WarHorse Gaming. He said the proposed amendment would tie mobile sports betting — which currently is dominated by four major platforms — to Nebraska’s existing casinos, ensuring that they benefit from the industry’s growth.
Sarah Meuli of DraftKings also testified in support. She said current law forces Nebraskans who want to place a sports wager online to cross state lines or use unregulated websites that lack consumer protections.

“In contrast, licensed operators such as DraftKings provide a customer-centric experience with strict oversight, transparency and player safeguards,” Meuli said.

Testifying in opposition to the measure was Nate Grasz of Nebraska Family Alliance. He said authorizing online sports betting would expose children and other vulnerable populations to advertising for mobile sports betting platforms, which allow users to place bets on their smartphones or other devices without leaving home.

States that have legalized online sports betting have seen “massive spikes” in gambling addiction, bankruptcy, suicide and domestic violence along with decreased household spending and saving, Grasz said.

“We are not missing out on revenue,” he said. “We are actively holding back a wave of financial and familial misery.”

Also in opposition was Pat Loontjer, executive director of Gambling with the Good Life. She said Nebraskans have yet to see the property tax relief they were promised when asked to approve casino gaming in 2020.

If the gaming industry believes Nebraskans would vote to approve online sports betting, Loontjer said, it should gather enough signatures to place the question on the ballot, not look to lawmakers for help.

“Don’t be a partner with the industry,” she said. “You were elected to protect your constituents and not to prey upon them.”

The committee took no immediate action on the proposal.