Back in 2023, the Nebraska betting news arrived for everyone, as legalization came in and thus far we've seen plenty of positive numbers in terms of the monthly handle. However, one issue that remains for the state is that online options are not on the docket just yet, though there's a push to potentially get that done in the near future. With that, online sports betting in Nebraska could generate a ton of revenue for the state.

This is something that local officials and lawmakers are keeping in mind. Well, a new report has suggested that should online sports betting make its way to Nebraska, it could help generate a little under $90 million in the first five years of operation. Yeah, that's something that will surely raise a ton of eyebrows. Those numbers were provided by a report from the Lincoln Journal Star, citing a study by petitioners pushing for online options.

This is of course not a small amount of money, as $87 million was the official projection. While that's good news, there are still lawmakers and politicians who aren't in favor of legal betting, as they are worried that addiction could come into play. For now, only authorized in-person sportsbooks are where you can place your wagers, which limits the amount of options people have.

With that said, if online options do get here, it would allow for people to place a bet whenever they're at home and whenever they want. There would no longer be a need for them to get in their car and head to a casino to place a wager. This is something that's getting a lot of buzz and it sure seems like positive steps are being taken. So, could some historic news be on the way soon?

Nebraska keeps taking steps to get online sports betting legalized

It really should be no surprise here that Nebraska keeps taking steps to get online sports betting legalized and a recent update from CBS Sports sure has people talking. According to reporter Brandon Gustafson, the Tax Relief Nebraska, a campaign trying to get online betting legalized, is moving in the right direction to get the necessary signatures for things to be placed on the ballot later this year.

If that does end up happening, and things are looking good there, that means that local citizens will be able to make their voices heard when it's time to vote. Now, this doesn't mean that if this particular vote is on the ballot, that legal online sports betting will arrive and people will be able to check the best NFL sportsbooks and more on a consistent basis in a flash.

That's because we have seen other states get to that level, only for things to get voted down in the end. However, there seems to be a ton of support for legalization, which is why a lot of people are excited for things to potentially be placed on the ballot. If that ends up being the case, it feels like there could be a great chance of things getting over the line, but again, nothing will be for certain there.

Nebraska is also dealing with prediction markets taking over a bit

Just like so many other states out there, Nebraska is also dealing with prediction markets taking over a bit. This is the kind of loophole that we're seeing in other places where there's no legal sports betting: people are able to use Kalshi and others due to it being regulated at the Federal level. With this, people can place futures bets online even if they're in Nebraska and things are not legal yet.

This has caused for officials to be quite upset and it's easy to see why. The last thing they want is for people to take advantage of these laws, especially since online sports betting in the state has not been given the green light yet. In many other states, lawsuits have been filed and the Senate just passed a law too everywhere where Senators are no longer allowed to place wagers on these prediction markets.

That's a good start, but until the laws are changed in Nebraska, people are going to continue to use the outlets for their online sports betting needs. A ton of money is being moved that way, but the hope is that things can change later this year with this new online sports betting bill getting on the ballot and then ultimately getting approved. It will be interesting to see if that happens or not, but if it does, it will be bad news for the prediction markets.