WarHorse Gaming’s campaign for online sports betting in Nebraska is set to begin in the coming months.
WarHorse, which operates two of Nebraska’s casinos – Lincoln and Omaha – dominate the state’s market share, accounting for more than $90 million of the $132 million in gross gaming revenue (GGR) last month.
Regulated Nebraska online casinos are yet to come into play. Sports betting became legal in Nebraska in May 2021 but the bill only approved in-person sports betting.
That doesn’t mean residents of the state can’t bet online however, as anyone in Nebraska aged 18 or over can wager through offshore sportsbooks based in countries such as Malta and Panama.
WarHorse is poised to add a third physical casino to Nebraska within the next few years. The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Lynne McNally, believes the state’s gambling market would be much larger if it regulated online sports betting.
WarHorse will commence a statewide petition on online sports betting in the near future and if the initiated constitutional amendment can collect around 125,000 signatures in support of sports betting apps, it could be discussed by governors as early as November 2026.
The operator, which is partnered with the Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association for developing and running the group’s three horse racetrack casinos, was a key player in the 2020 referendums that passed slots, table games and sports betting at Nebraska’s licensed racetracks.
Casinos in Nebraska have become a significant source of funds used to reduce homeowners’ property tax obligations, with the impressive revenue leading state officials to allocate an extra $20 million to the Property Tax Credit Cash Fund.
Nebraska requires a $1 million licensing fee for racetracks offering casino gambling, valid for a period of 20 years and the GGR from slot machines, table games and in-person sports wagering is levied at 20%.
Tax contributions from all five Nebraska casinos have surpassed $33 million.
Joe Lyons is a betting industry writer for GamblingIndustryNews with years of experience on reputable gambling websites. Joe specialises in long form content in the world of sports betting and gambling. Joe is recognised as an expert in sports fields such as horse racing, soccer, NFL and NBA.
