Nebraska Eyeing a Casino Measure to Legalize Sports Betting

Nebraska Eyeing a Casino Measure to Legalize Sports Betting

Voters in Nebraska will soon get to choose whether commercial casinos should offer legalized sports betting in the state or note. The Nebraska Initiative 429 could allow casinos in the state to take their first steps to legal sports wagering.

What is Nebraska Initiative 429?

Nebraska Initiative 429 will amend the state’s constitution to allow licensed racetracks to offer “games of chance.” The ballot will also include Nebraska Initiative 420 and 431 which will allow for the creation of a governing body as well as gaming tax on the newly legalized commercial gaming space. All three bills will need majority approval from the public to clear the way for legalized sports betting in the state.

Nebraska Eyeing a Casino Measure to Legalize Sports Betting

If a majority of voters support these initiatives, all six-horse racetracks in the state will be able to expand into full-scale casinos. It is still to be seen if sports betting will be included in the measure or the state will only stick to bigger casinos. However, it is a critical step for the sports betting industry. If the voters vote in the negative, then sports wagering could be a lost bet in the state for some time.

Casinos are a ray of hope

When games of chance are approved, games like slot machines, craps, and roulette will become legal in the horse racetracks of the state. After the strike down of PASPA in 2018, the states are free to approve their own legalized sportsbooks. However, Nebraska hasn’t taken any such initiatives to date. The state constitution requires voter referendum before sports betting could finally get a presence in the state.

The problem here is that sports betting is considered a game of skill, not of chance. The referendum may not directly affect the sports betting industry but may open up the lawmakers and the public to the concept. Leading sports wagering operators like FanDuel and DraftKings are already accepting bets from the state’s residents. The lawmakers tried to push the measure but couldn’t gather substantial momentum.

About sherlock

Sherlock Gomes loves to write and express his views on anything related to Gaming, Gambling, & Casino. He has been covering Gaming for more than two years now.