No Gambling Expansion in Nebraska for 2024

When Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen called for a special legislative session to discuss ways to initiate property tax relief, hopes were high that online sports betting might be some due consideration. Sports betting proponents were ready to push the idea that creating sports betting tax revenue would go a long way to helping the property tax issue in Nebraska.

Unfortunately, the much-needed discussion about this issue was never to be. After 17 days, the legislative session came to an end. Left in its wake were discussions about digital sports betting and other important unresolved matters. As the last scheduled legislative session of the year, digital sports betting died on the vine not to be resurrected until the first legislative session of 2025.

What Went Awry?

With the best of intentions, digital sports betting proponents were fully prepared to lay out their case. Unfortunately, it became clear that the rest of the legislative body seemed lost on the issue. That's a bit surprising, considering that legislation for retail sports betting was already passed. The issue seemed to be two-fold.

First, legislators seemed unprepared to have any meaningful discussions on this topic. Proponents did make clear they wanted to discuss the matter. Second, far too many lawmakers seemed completely uneducated on the matter. That might have something to do with House turnover in the two elections that have taken place since retail sports betting was passed.

It's noteworthy that when said legislation was passed in 2021, there was a provision that prevented Nebraska sports bettors from wagering on in-state schools. That didn't go over well for residents because of their love for the Nebraska Cornhuskers college football program. It's important to note that Nebraska and Virginia are the only two states that still have this restriction in place. There was hope that this issue would also get addressed at the same time as the digital sports betting issue.

What's Next on the Digital Sports Betting Front

While property tax relief was the main target of this special legislative session, they were able to pass House Bill LB 34. That bill, if signed into law, would put caps on future property tax increases. It was a small measure that left the property tax issue in Nebraska a remaining concern.

As for the digital sports betting question, it's back to the drawing board for proponents. In Nebraska, bills from one session do not carry over to the next session. That means new discussions and possible bills will need to be created for the next session, which is scheduled to run from January 8, 2025, until May 30, 2025.

In other U.S. sports betting news, voters in Missouri are slated to answer the sports betting question during the November election cycle. Just this past week, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft officially certified a proposed amendment that would officially legalize sports betting for the state's residents. As part of the bill, operators would be required to pay taxes on gross revenues at a 10% tax rate.