The Nebraska State Racing and Gaming Commission has approved rules governing sports betting at Nebraska racetracks.

The sports betting regulations were adopted by the Commission on Friday and remain subject to approval by state Attorney General Doug Peterson and Governor Pete Ricketts.

The regulations allow for in-person sports betting at authorised racetrack casinos in Nebraska via self-service betting terminals, designated windows within the sports betting area of a casino or cashier’s cage, and any other means approved by the Commission.

Racetrack casino operators and their sports betting partners must be licensed, either as an Authorized Gaming Operator or Sports Wagering Services Provider, with twenty-year operator licenses priced at $5.0m, payable over five years at $1.0m a year.

The regulations allow betting on professional and collegiate sports, international sporting events, professional motor races and sports drafts, individual sports awards, eSports, simulated games, and any other event approved by the Commission, excluding games involving a Nebraska instate collegiate or university team.

Betting on events in which a majority of participants are under the age of 18 will also be prohibited.

The regulations govern betting exchanges, in-play betting, parlay and proposition bets, and straight wagers, with all event categories and wagering types subject to Commission approval.

Players in Nebraska will also have the opportunity to exclude themselves from all forms of gambling through a new voluntary self-exclusion programme.

WarHorse Gaming, a division of Ho-Chunk, has already secured provisional approval as a casino operator and will operate two gaming facilities in Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska.

Caesars Entertainment is also working to open a new Harrah’s casino, sportsbook and racetrack in Columbus, Nebraska.

Voters in Nebraska approved sports betting and casino gaming at racetracks in November 2020.

Gaming Intelligence