The tribal group behind the first casino in Nebraska is now pushing for a vote to legalize online sports betting.
Lynne McNally, CEO of WarHorse Casinos, told Nebraska Public Media the state of Nebraska is missing out on tax dollars when Nebraskans are forced to visit another state or bet illegally with an offshore sportsbook.
WarHorse, which is owned by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, owns two casinos in Lincoln and Omaha where sports betting is legal when on-site. Nebraska is bordered by Iowa to the east, a popular destination for Nebraskans looking to bet legally since Iowa launched its online market in August 2019.
Online Nebraska sports betting was up for debate earlier in 2025, but eventually was pulled when it was filibustered. Similar legislation failed in 2024.
Nebraska sports betting push failed
Sen. Eliot Bostar introduced a constitutional amendment that would legalize online sports betting in Nebraska. Bostar estimated Nebraska missed out on $32 million in annual tax revenue from online betting.
It passed its first committee vote despite plenty of opponents speaking against the amendment. One of the no votes in committee came despite the senator knowing casino groups would bring their own referendum.
The amendment needed three separate two-thirds votes in the state’s unicameral legislature. It passed the first vote but was then filibustered, with opposition bringing up the addictive nature of online sports betting.
Bostar pulled the legislation when it was clear he did not have the votes to end the filibuster. The amendment carries over to the 2026 legislative session.
Gov. Jim Pillen is in favor of legalizing online sports betting.
Signature gathering starting soon
McNally expects to start the signature gathering push in about a month.
The movement will need to get signatures from 10% of registered voters. There are 1,257,860 registered voters in the state as of September, according to Nebraska’s Secretary of State.
There is an appetite for online betting in the state, according to statistics from GeoComply. During the 2024 NFL season, there were more than 3.37 million geolocation checks that attempted to access sportsbooks legal in other US states.
