Nebraska has become the 34th state to launch legalized sports betting after the WarHorse Casino began taking bets today.
The casino – based in Lincoln – is the first venue to take bets and players can only wager inside the retail sportsbook on the site.
Governor Pete Ricketts signed the retail sports betting bill back in May 2021, but it has taken over two years to establish a regulatory framework and launch.
Finally, after two years of work, WarHorse will begin taking bets today via its 10 retail kiosks or sports betting window, which are powered by Kambi’s white-label sportsbook technology.
“Nebraskans have been asking for the opportunity to wager on sports since the ballot initiatives were passed in 2020,” said Lance Morgan, CEO of Ho-Chunk, Inc, the parent company of WarHorse Gaming, LLC. “We’re thrilled to be the first casino in the state to offer sports betting.”
Despite the fact that Nebraska’s sports betting laws only allow for retail sports betting on casino grounds, players can legally view odds, build, and save wagering options through the WarHorse app to help create a faster and more seamless betting process when they do reach the casino.
“Bettors will be able to place wagers on a wide variety of sports and events, much more than just the major sports,” Morgan added.
As well as online bets being outlawed, players cannot place wagers on in-state college home games.
Following its launch, WarHorse will be obliged to pay a 20% tax on its GGR from sports betting, which will be used to fund the state’s Property Tax Credit Fund.
As previously mentioned, sports betting was legalized in Nebraska back in 2021, allowing the state’s race tracks and casinos to host wagering on their premises.
