Gambling in Nebraska

Gambling in Nebraska is a mixed bag at the moment. While there are a fair number of land-based options, online gambling hasn’t quite taken hold here yet. But some legislators have proposed changing gambling laws in Nebraska to allow for at least some forms of online betting in the future.

Online Sports Betting in Nebraska

At the moment, sports betting is not legal in Nebraska. However, there have been efforts to change this fact.

Normally, that would be difficult, as most forms of gambling are currently illegal under Nebraska law. However, state Sen. Justin Wayne introduced a bill that would designate sports betting, daily fantasy sports, and some forms of poker as games of skill – a categorization that would effectively legalize them. In a state without commercial casinos, this would presumably allow for Nebraska sports betting at online sites. So far, however, that bill hasn’t gained much momentum in the state legislature.

Online Casinos in Nebraska

There are no legal and regulated online casinos in Nebraska, and there haven’t been any significant efforts to change this fact recently. While there are some land-based Nebraska casinos, these are all operated by Native American tribes, with no commercial casino industry in the state at this time.

Online Poker in Nebraska

Online poker is illegal under Nebraska law, just like most forms of gambling in Nebraska. As we noted above, there was a bill introduced in 2020, however, that would have classified poker as a game of skill. Since there aren’t any commercial casinos in Nebraska, the result of the bill would likely have been to regulate online poker in the state.

Interestingly, even if this bill did change Nebraska’s online poker laws, not all forms of the game would be legalized. The language of Wayne’s bill specified that draw poker games and community card games (think Texas Hold’em and Omaha) are among the “certain” poker games that require “knowledge and skill.” That definition would exclude some games, like seven-card stud.

As we noted above, though, the bill never came close to passage. Even if it does get taken up again in the future, the specifics of the language could very well change being the legislation is enacted.

Daily Fantasy in Nebraska

As in many states, laws on gambling in Nebraska don’t refer to daily fantasy sports games. In practice, that means that most major daily fantasy sports operators do operate in the state. However, they do so in a grey area without any specific regulation or authorization.

As such, we cannot recommend participating in the services of any DFS providers in Nebraska until official legislation is passed by the state government. Should there be any changes to the legal standing of DFS in Nebraska, you’ll be able to find updates here on this page.

Online Lottery in Nebraska

While Nebraska has a state lottery that participates in interstate jackpots like Mega Millions and Powerball, it doesn’t offer any online ticket sales or real money games that you can play on the internet. However, there is a Nebraska Lottery app that players can download to get winning numbers, find lottery retailers, and try out demo versions of scratch card games.

Other Important Gambling Facts for Nebraska

The Nebraska Lottery was established by the state legislature in 1993. Interestingly, the minimum age to play the lottery in Nebraska is 19 – an unusual number, as most states use either 18 or 21 as the legal limit for most forms of gambling. The state does use a limit of 18 years of age for horse racing and charitable gaming.

At the moment, even tribal casinos in Nebraska are limited to Class II gaming, which means they can offer bingo and poker, but few other options. While there have been efforts to allow commercial casinos – which would also expand the offerings at tribal venues – these campaigns have been defeated several times, most recently in 2016. Some proponents are looking to get the issue back on the ballot again in 2020.

Gambling in Nebraska Conclusion

While there is some level of gambling in Nebraska, namely a lottery and tribal casinos, there aren’t any legalized forms of online gambling in the state currently. However, there have been efforts to change gambling laws in Nebraska, which could see sports betting and poker defined as games of skill in the future.

FAQs

Can you gamble online in Nebraska?

At the moment, there is no legal online gambling Nebraska, though there have been efforts to classify online poker under Nebraska law as a game of skill.

Is gambling illegal in Nebraska?

No, there are several forms of legal gambling in Nebraska. These include a state lottery, tribal casinos, horse racing tracks, and charitable gaming.

Is DraftKings legal in Nebraska?

DraftKings operates in Nebraska, as do most major DFS companies. However, Nebraska daily fantasy sports sites exist in a grey area, and this site cannot recommend signing up for these types of services until official legislation is passed.

Can you bet on sports in Nebraska?

Unfortunately, sports betting is currently illegal in Nebraska. In 2019, a bill was introduced to classify sports betting as a game of skill, but that legislation has yet to gain much traction.