13 Nebraska Senators Assert Stance Against Legalized Mobile Betting

Thirteen Nebraska senators asserted their stance against the legalization of mobile betting — geared toward slashing the state’s property tax rate — in a special session during the 14th day of debate Friday.

Nebraska senators cite the legalization of casinos, which failed to provide property tax relief for residents

Senators John Lowe, Ray Aguilar, Joni Albrecht, Robert Clements, Robert Dover, Steve Erdman, Steve Halloran, Brian Hardin, Rick Holdcroft, Loren Lippincott, Rita Sanders, and Julie Slama released the following statement:

“Nebraska very recently legalized casinos largely on the promise of property tax relief that has failed to manifest itself. Expanding gambling further will inevitably lead to expanding the associated addictions and adds to more suffering in our communities. Online sports betting turns every cell phone into a 24/7 handheld gambling device, leading to new addictions.”

Their statement Friday cites data from the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG). According to the NCPG, online sports betting has increased the risk of gambling addiction by 30 percent, while the council’s helpline reports a 150 percent spike in calls. The data also shows that 20 percent of college students gamble using financial aid dollars.

However, sports betting supporters argue that neighboring states are generating more tax revenue after having already legalized mobile casinos and sportsbooks.

GeoComply has blocked 4.5 million attempts at online bets in the Cornhusker State from July 2023 to June 2024

Since Iowa changed its law in 2019, the state has seen over $9 billion in wagers placed and has collected $44 million in tax revenue with just a 7.3 percent hold — the lowest of any state besides Nevada.

In states with a higher hold percentage, like Louisiana, $6 billion in wagers has resulted in $108 million in tax revenue. Nebraska is technically a casino-friendly state. Casino licenses have been granted for multiple operators across the state. This includes a WarHorse Casino in Lincoln, which opened in 2022, and a brand new one in Omaha.

GeoComply, the global leader in geolocation, fraud prevention, and cybersecurity solutions, has blocked more than 2 million attempts to place online sports bets in Nebraska between January and the end of June 2024.

The Vancouver-based software company blocked 4.5 million attempts at online bets in Nebraska from July 2023 to June 2024. Online gaming is illegal and controlled by geofence technology in the Cornhusker State.

GeoComply services BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, PokerStars, and Prime Video. It has a 99% transaction pass rate for geolocation compliance, per the website.

Nebraska legalizing mobile wagering would solve this problem.