Find the Best Legal Nebraska Sports Betting Sites: Safe Bookies

As far as attitudes toward gambling go, Nebraska remains on the conservative side of things. For this reason, it should come as no surprise that there is still no legal Nebraska sports betting. Although there is a small effort underway to change this, locals will need to find other gambling avenues for the time being.

In the absence of a Nebraska legal online sportsbook to recommend, we’ve instead dedicated this guide to sharing details on the current gambling laws in the state and how they could change in the future. We’ve only discussed legal and licensed betting options, as these are the safest and fairest ways to gamble.

What Betting Options are Legal for Nebraska Residents

It may be disappointing that there is no Nebraska legal online sportsbook, but gamblers shouldn’t be too dismayed. In addition to pari-muteul wagering, the lottery and daily fantasy sports betting, Nebraskans can gamble at four tribal casinos. Table games are unfortunately prohibited, though there are still some great slot options.

Is Daily Fantasy Legal in Nebraska?

Despite a long attempt by legislators to legalize and regulate daily fantasy sports (DFS), the contests are still not technically legal. However, as they are also not techically illegal, DFS is tolerated in a legal gray zone in Nebraska, meaning players can sign up to the DFS competitions of reputable sports betting sites DraftKings and FanDuel.

DFS contests are probably the closest thing to legal Nebraska online gambling. Due to the skill involved in the contests, which requires players to to draft fantasy teams from major sports leagues and earn points based on their team’s performances, the contests are differentiated to the more luck-based sports betting.

Are there Legal Offshore Sites for Nebraska Players

If you come across an offshore betting site that markets itself as the fairest legal Nebraska online sportsbook, be warned that this is a lie. This is because Nebraska online gambling is illegal in addition to sports betting. Any website making this claim is therefore unsafe and untrustworthy.

Offshore bookmakers such as Bovada, MyBookie, and BetOnline are known for accepting players in states where sports betting is illegal, so we suggest you avoid them or risk breaking the law. If you want to be sure that you’re money is safe and the odds are fair, always use legal websites.

Casinos

Nebraska has 4 tribal casinos and no commercial casinos. Two of the casinos are operated by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, one is operated by the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and the other is operated by the Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska. Table games are not permitted at these casinos.

Over the years, there have been several attempts to create commercial casinos in the state and allow for casino gaming to be expanded to allow table games. While online casino gambling and poker are currently illegal, a recently introduced bill seeks to legalize land-based and online poker by classifying them as games of skill.

Racetrack Betting

There are four horse racing tracks in Nebraska with the most well-known of these being the Fonner Park track. The track is located at the Nebraska County Fairgrounds and has been hosting races since 1954, with legal bets being allowed since 1934.

In addition to bets on local races, simulcast wagering on horse racing is also allowed. There are no off-track betting parlors and bets can not legally be made online, meaning that simulcast wagers will have to be made trackside at Fonner Park, Horsemen’s Park, Lincoln Race Course, and the Columbus Exhibition and Racing track.

Nearby States with Legal Sports Betting

The absence of legal Nebraska sports betting is certainly disappointing, though locals aren’t completely out of options. It is completely legal to travel to legal market states to wager on sporting events. Luckily for Nebraskans, the state is bordered by two states with legal sports betting.

Both Iowa and Colorado allow for mobile sports betting, meaning that all Nebraskans need to do is cross the border and start wagering from their phones on the state’s trusted sportsbooks. Below, we’ve listed the closest legal sports betting states.

• Colorado
• Iowa
• New Mexico

What would Legal Sports Betting in Nebraska Look Like

It is estimated that Nebraskans spend $500 million annually on sports betting in legal markets. This means that between $50 million and $120 million in tax revenues is lost to other states. These figures have been noticed by a number of lawmakers, prompting the recent introduction of three sports betting bills.

Without any commercial casinos, Nebraska would likely need to allow for mobile sports betting operators to offer sportsbooks in the state. If the bill is successful, this would mean that legal online sports betting in Nebraska would be available without players needing to register in person as is done in neighboring state Colorado.

Once legalized, sports betting would be regulated by the Nebraska Gaming Commission. This is an important and valued responsibility that ensures that players are kept safe and sportsbooks don’t exploit customers. It will also ensure operators pay fees, further ensuring Nebraskans benefit from a legal market.

Gamblers will be able to bet on all major sports leagues with a Nebraska legal online sportsbook, including the NBA, NFL, MLB and MLS. It’s also likely that collegiate division games will be legal, which is great news for those wanting to get involved in the NCAA March Madness basketball betting season.

What are the Nebraska Gambling Laws

Nebraska has remained a relatively quiet state when it comes to gambling for the majority of its history. Nebraska gambling laws define gambling as betting something of value uponed the outcome of a future event which is determined by chance. Aside from sanctioned activities, gambling is essentially illegal in the state.

The first of these activities to be sanctioned was pari-mutuel wagering, which was legalized in 1934. By the 1960s, charity raffles and bingo was legalized. Simulcast wagering on pari-mutuel wagering was legalized by 1988, and in 1982, the first state lottery was established. Since then, there has been little interest in gambling expansion in the state.

[Text Wrapping Break]Recent years have seen the state at odds with its tribal casinos for everything from offering electronic gaming machines to attempting to build more casinos on their reservations. Luckily for Nebraskan gamblers, the federal government has repeatedly sided with the Nebraskan tribes.

As the table above reveals, there are three minimum gambling ages in Nebraska depending on the activity. PLayers must be over 18 to bet on horse racing and daily fantasy sports. Unlike most states that require players to be 18 years and over for the lottery, Nebraskans require players be over 19 years old. Payers need to be over the age of 21 to gamble at tribal casinos.

What is the Future of Sports Betting in Nebraska?

Although there is certainly some interest in legalizing Nebraska sports betting on both sides of the political aisle, we can’t say for certain that the chances of legalization are favorable. There are a number of politicians opposed to sports betting legalization, and residents haven’t historically shown much interest in expanded gambling.

The efforts will also need to satisfy the tribal gambling groups and their desires to offer sportsbooks. Until this can be done, it may be some time before Nebraska joins the growing list of sport betting states. For now, we suggest traveling to a nearby legal state such as Colorado and FanDuel to place your bets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have any more questions about Nebraska sports betting or other gambling related queries? In the following section, we have answered a number of questions that are commonly asked about the Nebraska gambling situation.