Retail Sports Betting Officially Set to Launch in Nebraska

The WarHorse Casino in Lincoln, NE, has announced their new sportsbook will officially open this Thursday. This will be the first legal sportsbook to open in the state, officially adding them to the list of states where some form of legal sports betting is available. The new sportsbook will feature a sportsbook window and ten kiosks, with plans to grow the space more.

“Nebraskans have been asking for the opportunity to wager on sports since the ballot initiatives were passed in 2020,” Ho-Chunk Inc. CEO Lance Morgan said of the launch. “We’re thrilled to be the first casino in the state to offer sports betting.”

Though Governor Pete Ricketts signed LB 561 to legalize retail sports betting in May 2021, delays caused the official launch to take over two years as casinos struggled to come to terms with vendors. Those delays made it hard to know precisely when Nebraska would open its first sportsbook, but that wait is finally over.

Nebraska Sports Betting Restrictions

The most notable restriction for Nebraska sports betting is that it must be done on-site from an approved location. While you can build your bets at home using an app, you cannot actually place a wager unless you are on-site at a sportsbook. 

All sports betting operators must partner with a casino or racino before launching a retail location. Those casinos/racinos will have to pay a 20% tax on all gaming revenue, including from sports betting. That is one of the higher tax rates in the country, meaning the state should see a sharp increase in revenue starting this year.

Finally, Nebraska sports bettors will be able to bet on a wide variety of sports, including collegiate sports and e-gaming. The only restriction covers prop betting and wagers on in-state college teams, which has been common among other states. 

The WarHorse Sportsbook App

While all bets must be placed on-site at the casino, WarHorse has launched an app to allow players to build their bet tickets at home. Players can access their sportsbook odds online and set the bets they want to place. The app will provide a QR code that can be scanned at the retail sportsbook, automatically populating your bet ticket. The hope is that this will keep lines at the sportsbook moving while also allowing.