Nebraska Gambling

Nebraska is the most conservative state in the Great Plains in terms of gambling. There are no real casinos in the state. Card clubs do not exist. There are a few traditional forms of gambling in Nebraska.

Nebraska Horse Racing

There are three horseracing venues in Nebraska. It is the oldest form of gambling in the state. Like in most states, racing has declined over the years. Nebraska’s racetracks offer betting on live horses, as well as off-track betting.

While Nebraska has not expanded gambling in recent decades, neighboring Iowa, Kansas, Colorado and South Dakota have. This drew gamblers out of Nebraska into other markets, which led to lower interest in horse racing. The refusal of Nebraska lawmakers to permit expanded gambling at the state’s racetracks also contributed to the loss of gaming dollars.

The only three racetracks remaining in Nebraska are at the Platte County AG Park, Fonner Park and Horsemen’s Park. An attempt to expand gaming into historical racing machines failed to make the November 2014 ballot in Nebraska due to a Supreme Court ruling.

Nebraska Reservation Casinos

There are four reservation casinos in Nebraska. These are not comparable to casinos in neighboring states. Nebraska gaming on reservations is limited to what most would describe as video bingo and keno machines. There are no traditional slots, video poker or table games. Players must travel to Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas or Colorado to find Nevada-style gaming. Omaha, Nebraska’s largest city, has easy access to full scale casinos in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It is just across the Missouri River from Omaha.

North Dakota licenses Bet America which accepts legal online wagers for horse racing, dog racing and fantasy sports. This is legal for residents of this state (please read their terms and conditions to ensure this has not changed).

Nebraska Online Gambling

The only form of online gambling in Nebraska is off-track betting on horses. The state’s racetracks do not have the ability to offer this form of internet gambling. Instead, outside software companies offer pari-mutuel betting over the Internet and through mobile apps. These businesses include TVG, TwinSpires and BetAmerica.

Another form of online gambling that appears to be legal in Nebraska is daily fantasy sports. Players in Nebraska may enter fantasy sports pools with participants in other states at sites that include DraftKings, FanDuel, CBS Sports and Yahoo. By most accounts, the games are legal in Nebraska.

Many offshore gambling sites accept players from Nebraska. None of these sites are licensed to operate in the state. Players should exercise caution when making a deposit at a site that spreads poker, casino games and sports betting to Nebraskans.

Nebraska Lottery

Nebraska voters approved a state lottery by a margin of 63/37 in November 1992. The first scratch-off ticket was sold on September 11, 1993. The first lotto drawing ticket was bought by players on July 21, 1994. These are the only two games legal through the Nebraska Lottery.

Nebraska Charitable Gambling

Bingo and keno games may be spread by charities in Nebraska. Any establishment or community center may offer these games. The only requirement is that the proceeds go towards the community or a nonprofit organization. This law also allows for electronic versions of the games to be spread on tribal land.