We will admit that when we started to research the gambling laws in Nebraska, we didn’t know too much about the state. Now, we realize how important this state is, and while there are less than two millions residents, there is a rich history with gambling in Nebraska.
This page will review the gambling laws across all verticals and will give you some insight on some potential changes that could be coming to the Cornhusker state.
Top Nebraska Betting Sites for 2023
Sports Betting in Nebraska
College sports are the top billing in Nebraska, and with the popularity of the football and basketball teams, it is not shocking to notice the number of people talking about point spreads and totals on game days.
The lack of local options hasn’t stopped many residents from finding ways to gamble, and as you will see below, there are many viable options for those of you who want to get some money down on the next big sporting event.
Online Sports Betting
For the time being, any residents of Nebraska that simply have to make some online wagers can turn to the many offshore-based sportsbooks that are still accepting players from the United States.
Here is a list of the best options available:
Horse Betting in Nebraska
The horse racing business in Nebraska is…well, it’s good or bad, depending on how you look at it. The optimistic side of the business is that there are currently six different facilities that offer live racing in the state, which is a great number considering the population base.
The issue is that each of the tracks has a very limited number of live race days approved. The highest number of days of operation at any one track is 31, while there are two facilities that are only authorized to offer racing one day of the year! This may seem extreme, but it seems to be the way that each track does not compete with the others.
This obviously means that tracks need other forms of revenue to be profitable, and this mainly comes in the form of simulcast racing and off-track pari-mutuel betting. Each of the tracks offers the opportunity to bet on races from across the country, which gives people a reason to head to the track on one of the many days where live racing is unavailable.
The tracks also offer live Keno as another source of revenue, although those games have seen better days.
Online Horse Betting
While the land-based horse betting industry in Nebraska is a little confusing, there is nothing confusing about the online side of the business.
The tracks are not allowed to offer their own online pari-mutuel betting, but with sites like BetOnline an Bovada offering account-based wagering to residents of Nebraska, there are options for those not interested in heading to the track.
Best Nebraska Online Racebooks
Casino Gambling in Nebraska
Nebraska follows the same line as many of the states in the country when it comes to casino gambling, The licensing and operation of land-based casinos have been awarded to the tribal nations in the state as part of a compact signed between the tribes and state back in the late 1980s.
This means that the only casinos in the state are on tribal land, and at this time there is a handful open in the state. These casinos offer players a full set of games, including thousands of slot machines and all sorts of table games.
Online Casinos in Nebraska
One thing the tribes did not put into their compact when it was signed was the ability to offer internet casino games to players in Nebraska.
This is not entirely surprising seeing that this compact was signed before internet gambling was a thing. It is always possible that the compact will be renegotiated to add these games, but it is unlikely to happen anytime soon.
This leaves online casino gaming to the offshore companies that offer the games via licenses issued by foreign gaming authorities.
Best Online Nebraska Casinos
Our team has decades of experience in the online casino world, and they are players themselves so you can rest assured that the sites on this page are also the ones that our team are most likely to open and play themselves.
Lottery in Nebraska
Nebraska was one of the last states to create a Lottery Commission, launching in 1993. Players in the state are able to enter draws to win daily smaller prizes or some of the largest jackpots in the world with the Powerball, and Mega Millions draws that attract people from all over the country. To date, the Nebraska Lottery has raised almost a billion dollars for social programs in the state.