Nebraska Sports Betting Bill Carried Over To 2022 Session

• Nebraska lawmakers have carried over LR26CA – a bill allowing the legislature to authorize, regulate, and tax sports betting – to the 2022 legislative session.
• The bill was first introduced by Nebraska Senator Brett Lindstrom, the bill’s sponsor – Lindstrom has used his involvement with the bill as a reelection campaign point.

LINCOLN, Neb. – 2022 may be the year that a major regulated sports betting industry finally comes to Nebraska. State lawmakers have carried over LR26CA – an amendment to the state constitution that would allow the legislature to authorize, regulate, and tax sports betting – to the current legislative session.

The bill was first introduced on January 19, 2021, by Nebraska Senator Brett Lindstrom. It was discussed in the early months of 2021, but it did not move forward and was put on the backburner until Wednesday when the Nebraska legislature passed a carryover resolution.

This type of resolution keeps the sports betting bill active for the current legislative session, meaning it will be available for discussion and action.

What This Means For Nebraska’s Sports Betting Industry

Nebraska is currently stuck in a bit of a sports betting limbo: in November of 2020, Nebraska’s voters approved a constitutional amendment that allowed for games of chance – including sports betting.

However, nothing really has come of this – no sportsbooks are currently active in Nebraska, and despite Governor Pete Ricketts signing LB 561 into law, almost none of the necessary regulatory, licensing, and infrastructure tasks have been completed and sports betting remains a long way from launch.

The bill also notably excluded mobile sports betting, requiring that games of chance (including sports betting) only be accessible on casino premises. As a result, many have pushed for official legislative action – such as LR26CA – to officially create a regulated sports betting industry that includes mobile sports betting.

While it is unclear exactly when the bill will be taken up for discussion again, it is certainly a step in the right direction for allowing regulated, legal sports betting in Nebraska.

Considering the lack of progress from the 2020 voter’s amendment, this bill is already receiving attention.

Sen. Lindstrom has used his sponsorship of the sports betting bill as a platform for reelection, which means he will likely be highly motivated to ensure the success of LR26CA.

News tags: Brett Lindstrom | LB 561 | LR26CA | Nebraska | Pete Ricketts