Nebraska Online Sports Betting Bill Still Alive

The latest attempt to legalize Nebraska online sports betting has not unfolded as many expected.

Hopes were high when lawmakers began discussing a bill that would green light online wagering in The Cornhusker State over the summer during an emergency session. Nothing came of it, but the groundwork had ostensibly been laid.

Skip ahead to June 2025, and that optimism is waning. But despite recent speculation that online Nebraska sports betting has already flopped, the initiative is not dead. Not yet, anyway.

Joint Resolution 20CA (JR 20CA) is the measure that seeks to legalize online sports betting in Nebraska. It has a number of key supporters, including its sponsor, Senator Eliot Bostar. Momentum toward passage appeared to build when it was voted on in the General Affairs Committee. The bill didn’t just make it through. It garnered bi-partisan support.

However, as JR 20CA made its way through the Nebraska state legislature, cracks in that support started to emerge. Senator Bostar has since determined there is not enough backing from his colleagues in the Senate. Most assume this means the initiative has fizzled out for good. That’s apparently not the case.

Nebraska Online Sports Betting Bill Still in Select File

According to NebraskaLegislature.gov, the Nebraska online sports betting bill is on Select File, with pending motions that will impact whether it progresses from hereon. This effectively means it is still up for consideration among the general governing body.

That is a good sign if you’re holding out hope for Nebraska to approve online sports betting. But the pending motions referenced are ones attempting to delay it—indefinitely.

For reference, here is the timeline for the progress of JR 20CA so far:

January 17, 2025: Senator Bostar introduces JR 20CA to the General Affairs Committee
March 10, 2025: The Joint Resolution is discussed during a public hearing.
March 19, 2025: JR 20CA placed on General File.
April 14, 2025: The bill advances to what’s called the Enrollment and Review Initial, which is basically the early stages of official consideration.
April 22, 2025: The bill is put on Select File. This is another way of saying it's up for debate among the entire legislative body.
April 23, 2025: While the bill is still in Select File, officials have proposed “bracketing” it. If this is successful, the discussion for JR 20CA will be delayed indefinitely.

That final update is over a month old. And it doesn’t bode well for JR 20CA. The state legislature will no longer have the opportunity to consider and debate new matters, making it unlikely the Nebraska online sports betting initiative gets approved.

This Doesn’t Mean the Push for Online Sports Betting is Over

All signs point to JR 20CA’s fate in 2025 being already sealed. But there is at least one silver lining: The bill has not been scrapped entirely.

While there may not be enough support to pass the proposal outright, there isn’t enough opposition to get it booted entirely. So long as it remains in Select File, it can be revisited, and progress can be made from there.

That still gives it the chance to appear on the 2026 electoral ballot. The measure can be rehashed at the beginning of 2026. If an agreement is reached before the end of legislative sessions, the bill can then be placed on the November 2026 electoral ballot.

At that point, the fate of Nebraska online sports betting would be in the hands of the voters.

Will Voters Approve of Nebraska Mobile Sports Betting?

Each time the issue of online sports wagering gets bounced back, supporting officials will say they believe Nebraskans have the right to vote on legalization. This has long been a popular argument when it comes to legalizing sports betting in the United States. In some cases, it has even proven effective.

Remember, the reflection of JR 20CA in the eyes of the Senate doesn’t necessarily reflect that of the voters. People in favor of Nebraska online sports betting won’t hesitate to emphasize that factor.

Optimists, in fact, will believe the public has already spoken. The initial vote to legalize Nebraska sports betting passed with a 65 percent approval rate. Many think this will translate to the polls for online sports betting. Senator Bostar is among them.

“This is an opportunity to create a new source of property tax relief,” he said during his opening remarks this session (via the Daily Nebraskan). “In fact, Nebraskans are already in favor of the measure. Almost 60 percent of voters support legalizing mobile (online) sports betting.”

That is a pretty bold figure to just throw out there. But it does track with the support from 2020 on retail sports betting. Plus, the fact that Bostar’s proposal promises to provide property tax relief will no doubt resonate with homeowners.

So really, at the end of the day, the biggest obstacle for Nebraska mobile sports betting isn’t necessarily about the idea itself. Opponents of the bill have its approval rating, too. This seems to be more about preserving tribal gaming exclusivity. If Nebraska allows online sportsbooks into the mix, it creates a bunch of competition, threatening to infringe upon the revenue of casinos.

Yet, while this is a concern, it’s nothing other states have not worked around before. Take sports betting in Michigan. The market has both online and retail options, and it stipulates that commercial sportsbooks partner up with brick-and-mortar operations. The Cornhusker State could do the same if it’s serious about Nebraska online sports betting legalization.

Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can find one that works for all of your sports betting needs: