Mobile sports betting measure passed over

A proposal that would allow Nebraskans to place bets on sports with their mobile devices was passed over during second-round debate April 23 at the request of the introducer.

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

If approved by voters, authorized gaming operators conducting sports wagering within a licensed racetrack enclosure also 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.

Sen. Stan Clouse of Kearney supported LR20CA, saying the Legislature should determine how mobile sports betting would be implemented in Nebraska, rather than letting the gambling industry craft an initiative petition if lawmakers refuse to act.

“If we don’t take care of it, somebody else will,” Clouse said.

Sen. R. Brad von Gillern of Elkhorn opposed LR20CA, and offered a motion to indefinitely postpone the measure. He said the problems associated with mobile sports betting, including increased rates of debt and gambling addiction, would not be worth the revenue generated.

“Nothing comes without a cost,” von Gillern said. “And this will come with a social cost.”

He said such gaming is targeted toward young men in their 20s and provides the constant availability and instant gratification that reinforces addictive behavior.

Bellevue Sen. Rick Holdcroft supported the motion to indefinitely postpone the proposal. He said the number of calls to Nebraska’s problem gambling help line have doubled in the two years since casino gaming was legalized in the state.

At Bostar’s request, LR20CA was passed over after approximately three hours of second-round debate. The Legislature moved to the next item on the agenda without voting on the measure. It is unlikely to be debated again this session.