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Nebraska Casinos and Gambling

Nebraska online casinosNebraska online casinosShort Summary:  This page looks at the different forms of gambling in the State of Nebraska, discusses the legality of online gambling and gives a detailed listing of all of the Commercial and Tribal casinos in the state.

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Nebraska is called the “Cornhusker State,” and it’s known for its expansive prairies, historic trails, and agricultural production. Unfortunately, the overall sparse population of the state provides limited opportunities for gamblers, as casinos and racetracks are spread out and relatively modest.

The state of Nebraska is generally fairly conservative, but they do offer a wide variety of gambling options.  Granted, there are no commercial casinos or legalized forms of online casinos in the state, but it has just about everything else.

The first thing that we will detail is the horse racing operations.  We’re not going to list them in the casinos section as they are not permitted to have casino games (exception to keno or bingo) as of the time of this writing.  Most of these facilities conduct live racing on multiple days of the year, but a few of them only have one live racing day.

Online Gambling In Nebraska

Update: As of December 2022, sports betting is now legal in the State of Nebraska, but that only applies to in-person retail sportsbooks.

Earlier this year, KETV wrote that the sports betting would be limited to in-person betting, which applies even if the person is physically on location. States such as Mississippi and Montana have something between the two options in that there is mobile sports betting permitted, but only if the person is geolocated to be in a land casino, or retail location, respectively, at the time the betting is being done.

In general terms, the state seems loath to expand its gambling options very quickly, which is particularly evident when it comes to online wagering, as no bills whatsoever that would permit any form of online wagering, whether it be casino-style, sports or poker, have even been introduced in recent years.

Fortunately, there are several online casinos that offer their services to Nebraskans, so please see above for a list of our top picks!

The law in Nebraska is pretty clear that online gambling is illegal.  Any form of gambling not specifically authorized by the state in which less than $500 is wagered in one day is a misdemeanor.  If more than that is wagered, it is considered Promoting Gambling in the Second Degree. Interestingly enough, Promoting Gambling in the Second Degree would only appear to carry penalties for operators, so perhaps all gambling done by mere players is a Class IV regardless of the amount.

The law calls for forfeiting any monies to the state that were used for illegal gambling.  More than that, the law stipulates that it is not a defense to argue that the gambling was conducted electronically in a jurisdiction in which the gambling is legal.

With that being said, we could uncover no case of anyone playing online in the capacity of a mere player and being prosecuted.

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Horse Racing

Fonner Park-Grand Island, Nebraska

Fonner Park had the most live racing days in Nebraska for 2019, with 31 total live racing dates between February and May.  Simulcast wagering is available from January-August, at least that was the case in 2019, and the facility conducts Keno seven days per week.

Lincoln Race Course- Lincoln, Nebraska

Lincoln Race Course was scheduled to have three days of live racing in 2019, all three of which are scheduled for Labor Day weekend.  Simulcast wagering and keno are available year round.

Horsemen’s Park-Omaha, Nebraska

Horsemen’s Park conducted nine days of live racing between May and June of 2019.  There are 3,000 seats in the year-round simulcast area and live keno also takes place at the facility.

Columbus Exposition and Racing-Columbus, Nebraska

Columbus Exposition and Racing is scheduled to have eleven days of live racing between the months of August and September, 2019.  Their website makes no mention of simulcast, so we’ll assume none exists there, but you’re free to call and ask.

Atokad Park-Sioux South City, Nebraska

The property is being built, so the full scope remains to be seen.  There is a race scheduled for September 2019, but not much information available other than that.

Greyhound racing is illegal in the State of Nebraska.

The tax to be paid on simulcast wagering ranges from 0%-4% depending on the total simulcast revenues.  The tax does not start until a facility hits ten million in revenues.

Charitable Gambling

Charitable Gambling is permitted within the state and is governed by the Nebraska Charitable Gaming Division.  Examples of legalized forms of charitable gambling include Keno, Pickle Cards and Bingo. The licensing fees and taxes vary depending on the type of gambling being conducted.

Land Casinos In Nebraska

Any land casinos in the State of Nebraska are Tribal Casinos, and through the compact with the state, such casinos are permitted to offer Class II Video Lottery, “Electronic Bingo,” machines.  Basically, they look like slot machines, but they are not.

Iron Horse Bar and Casino

The Iron Horse Bar and Casino is owned and operated by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and is located in Emerson.  They have 89 machines, are open at 10:00 a.m. every day but Monday and have a restaurant called Caboose Lounge.

Lucky 77 Casino

Lucky 77 Casino is located in Walthill, Nebraska and is owned and operated by the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska.  They have a Facebook page with a link to a casino in Iowa, so that’s curious. In any event, they receive a 4.4 average rating on nine reviews.

I called and determined that there are 42 total machines.  The property is open seven days a week.

Native Star Casino

Native Star Casino is owned and operated by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and is located in Winnebago.  This casino property includes a gas station, convenience store and restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.  THe casino floor is home to 83 machines, 23 of which are located in a smoking area.

The hours are available on their website.

And, strange as it seems, they have a players club called Iron Star Rewards.

Ohiya Casino

Ohiya Casino is owned and operated by the Santee Sioux Nation and is located in Niobrara, Nebraska.  The front desk receptionist said, “I believe we have fifty,” when I called for a total room count, so we’ll go with that.  What we do know is that the hotel offers its guests wireless internet access, a heated pool and hot tub and a fitness center.

The property is home to a total of roughly 400 gaming machines and also conducts live bingo with regularity.

There are three eateries inclusive of a steakhouse called Legends, a buffet and a snack shop.

In short, this sounds like a nice little locals place or maybe a decent place to lay your head for a night if you’re on a long driving trip and happen to be passing through the area.  Even though the games are Class II VLT’s, this is about as close to an actual casino as you’re going to get in Nebraska.

Gambling Laws in Nebraska

According to state law, “A person engages in gambling if he or she bets something of value upon the outcome of a future event, which outcome is determined by an element of chance, or upon the outcome of a game, contest, or election, or conducts or participates in any bingo, lottery by the sale of pickle cards, lottery, raffle, gift enterprise, or other scheme not authorized or conducted in accordance with the Nebraska Bingo Act, the Nebraska County and City Lottery Act, the Nebraska Lottery and Raffle Act, the Nebraska Pickle Card Lottery Act, the Nebraska Small Lottery and Raffle Act, and the State Lottery Act.”

The following are some of the gambling violations present in the state:

  • Promoting Gambling – This first-degree version of the crime involves accepting more than $1,000 in wagers in a single day. The first offense is a Class I misdemeanor, while the second is a Class IV felony. The third and any subsequent offenses are a Class III felony.
  • Possession of Gambling Records – The first-degree version of this crime is a Class II misdemeanor, and it centers on possession of documents used for illegal lotteries or bookmaking schemes.
  • Gambling Debt Collection – Using force or intimidation to collect a gambling debt is a Class III felony.
  • Possession of a Gambling Device – This offense is a Class II misdemeanor.

Lottery in Nebraska

The Nebraska lottery was first approved by voters in 1992, and it became the 37th such contest to take place in the United States. Since that time, more than $564 million has been generated for the state. Revenue from the games is distributed in the following fashion:

  • Education – 44.5%
  • Environmental Trust Fund – 44.5%
  • Nebraska State Fair – 10%
  • Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund – 1% (plus the first $500,000 in proceeds each fiscal year)

In addition to the state lottery, Nebraska also allows individual towns and cities to conduct their own lotto-style drawings. According to the law, “Any county, city, or village may establish and conduct a lottery if an election is first held pursuant to this section. Only one scheme or type of lottery may be conducted by a county, city, or village at one time.”

Scratch-off tickets are available across the state from licensed retailers, and they come in the following denominations: $1, $2, $3, $5, $10, $15, and $20.

The following lotto games are available in the state:

  • Powerball – By matching all five balls and a special Powerball, the player wins a minimum jackpot of $40 million.
  • Mega Millions – Five matches pays $1 million, while also getting the bonus Mega Ball results in a win over $90 million.
  • Pick 5 – Getting five out of five matches pays $90,000.
  • Pick 3 – Prizes in this drawing range from $1 to $600.
  • My Day – Prizes range from $1 to $5,000.
  • 2 by 2 – Matching a single number wins you another game entry, while four matches pay a minimum of $22,000.

The 2018 Nebraska Lottery Annual Report is found here:

There were $182,765,966 in total ticket sales of which $105,088,604 was paid out in prizes.  As a result, Nebraska Lottery had a return to player of 57.5% overall, which is pretty horrendous even by lottery standards.  The report doesn’t break the sales down with any great specificity, though it does indicate the state participates in the national Mega Millions and Powerball drawings.

Based on a population of 1.929 million, the average resident spent $94.75 on lottery tickets and lost $40.27.  It’s hard to say why sales are comparably low to other states, we guess the state just doesn’t really care much for gambling.

There are no forms of online gambling licensed or regulated by the state.  

Sports Betting in Nebraska

There are no legal sports betting facilities in Nebraska. According to the law, “Bookmaking shall mean advancing gambling activity by unlawfully accepting bets from members of the public as a business upon the outcome of future contingent events.”

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Owning a Slot Machine in Nebraska

In most parts of the United States, private citizens can own slot machines as long as the devices are categorized as antiques. That’s not the case in Nebraska, however, as residents are prohibited by law from owning any type of slot machine. They are one of only five states to enact such a law, joining Tennessee, South Carolina, Hawaii, and Connecticut in their hardline stance.

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Conclusion And Prognosis

Legalized and regulated online gambling—Very much doubt it.

Commercial Casinos—Probably not happening.  

Sports betting—Nope. 

Sorry.

References