(Lincoln, NE) -- A Nebraska State Senator wants to give the people an option to vote for legal sports betting in the state.
On Tuesday, Senator Brett Lindstrom introduced legislation that will allow voters to decide whether to bring sports wagering, including through mobile or any other Internet-connected device, to Nebraska. "This bill will let voters decide whether to bring Nebraska on equal footing with our neighboring states and keep Nebraskans' tax dollars here at home. We know for a fact that many Nebraskans are traveling to Iowa to place bets on sporting events or using one of the many widely available mobile apps available from the illegal, untaxed and unregulated offshore market," stated Senator Lindstrom.
If Senator Lindstrom's legislative resolution is passed, Nebraskans will head to the polls in the general election in November 2022 and decide whether to amend the Constitution and to permit sports wagering in the state. Lindstrom's office say lawmakers would then return to Lincoln and adopt a framework that establishes consumer protections, rules and protocols for sports betting operators and how much the state will collect in taxes and fees for licenses.
Today, 22 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., have authorized sports wagering, including neighboring Colorado and Iowa. Both states currently allow residents and visitors to place sports bets at casinos and through any Internet-connected device. Voters in South Dakota backed a sports betting ballot measure this past election cycle. Lawmakers in Missouri, Wyoming, Kansas and South Dakota intend to pass legislation this year to legalize sports betting, including with a mobile option.
Lindstrom's office says if Nebraska moves forward with legalizing mobile sports betting, "experts forecast that the state could generate nearly $9 million a year alone in taxes."
(Photo by Nebraska Unicameral Legislature)