Retail sports betting launch still “several weeks” away in Nebraska
Grand Island’s Fonner Park and WarHorse Lincoln don’t have the infrastructure ready.
US.- Retail sports betting is still “several weeks” away in Nebraska. The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission had hoped to see a launch in time for the start of March Madness, but that now looks more in doubt because the infrastructure at the state’s licensed casinos is not ready.
According to The Lincoln Journal Star, sports betting technically became legal on Wednesday after the Secretary of State’s Office published recently approved rules, but Nebraska Racing and Gaming executive director Tom Sage said infrastructure is not yet in place. “It’s still going to be several weeks,” Sage said.
Casinos must apply for and be granted a vendor licence for whoever is going to run their sports betting operations, and the commission also will have to inspect and approve whatever equipment they use. Following that step, the provider must seek a licence from the commission and be vetted. But once the commission signs off, things should move “pretty quickly.”
Lynne McNally, CEO of the Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, confirmed that it “should be a few weeks” before sports betting is available at the Lincoln casino. Lance Morgan, president, and CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc., a partner with the Horsemen’s group on the Lincoln casino and a venue under construction in Omaha, is interviewing potential sports betting providers and should make a decision soon.
The Lincoln Journal Star reports that sports betting at the Grand Island Casino is further behind. Vincent Fiala, the Grand Island Casino Resort general manager, said it would likely be months before sports betting is up and running. “Honestly, at best, it’s probably going to be next fall,” Fiala said.
Nebraskans voted for an expansion of gaming in November 2020. All six licensed horse tracks, located in Lincoln, Omaha, South Sioux City, Columbus, Grand Island and Hastings, have announced plans to add casinos. Six additional racetracks have been proposed in Bellevue, Gering, Kimball, Norfolk, North Platte and York.
Last month, the regulator’s framework of rules was approved by the Attorney General’s office and moved forward to the governor’s office for review. The regulations require all sports gambling to be done in person on the grounds of a racetrack casino. For now, that means temporary spaces at Grand Island’s Fonner Park and WarHorse Lincoln. The rules prohibit betting on games that are played within the state.
