Nebraska Statewide Rule

Nebraska Sports Wagering: Retail-Only at Racetrack Casinos

Significant RestrictionsApplies statewide across Nebraska (2026)

Key Facts

Enforcing agency: Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission
Where bets are legal: Licensed racetrack casinos only, in person or kiosk
Mobile/online betting: Not authorized anywhere in Nebraska
Minimum age: 21 years old
In-state college teams: Wagers excluded from legal sports wagering definition
Governing law: Racetrack Gaming Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 9-1101–9-1118
Penalty for violations: Class I misdemeanor: up to 1 year, $1,000 fine

Last verified: August 21, 2026

Summary

Nebraska's Racetrack Gaming Act allows sports wagering only inside licensed racetrack casinos: every bet has to go through a sportsbook window or wagering kiosk in the designated sports-wagering area, in person. Online and mobile sports betting are not authorized anywhere in the state. The statute also strips wagers tied to in-state college teams out of the legal definition of sports wagering entirely, whether it is an individual athlete's performance or an in-game bet.

"Sports wagering means the acceptance of wagers on an authorized sporting event by any system of wagering as authorized by the commission. Sports wagering does not include (a) placing a wager on the performance or nonperformance of any individual athlete participating in a single game or match of a collegiate sporting event in which a collegiate team from this state is participating, (b) placing an in-game wager on any game or match of a collegiate sporting event in which a collegiate team from this state is participating..." (§ 9-1103(17)). "The commission may permit an authorized gaming operator to conduct sports wagering. Any sports wager shall be placed in person or at a wagering kiosk in the designated sports wagering area at the licensed racetrack enclosure." (§ 9-1110(1))

View official code

Full Breakdown

Nebraska voters approved casino gaming at licensed racetracks via a 2020 ballot initiative, and the Legislature implemented sports wagering through the Racetrack Gaming Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 9-1101 to 9-1118. Section 9-1110(1) puts the location rule directly in the statute: any sports wager shall be placed in person or at a wagering kiosk in the designated sports wagering area at the licensed racetrack enclosure. There is no statutory or regulatory path to mobile or online betting, the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission's own sports-wagering page confirms that online and mobile sports wagering are not currently authorized in Nebraska, and bettors must be at least 21 to enter the wagering area or place a bet.

The Act also narrows what counts as legal sports wagering at the definitional level. Under § 9-1103(17), the term "sports wagering" expressly excludes any bet on the performance or nonperformance of an individual athlete in a collegiate game involving a Nebraska college or university team, and excludes any in-game wager on a collegiate contest involving a Nebraska team, meaning licensed books cannot legally offer either bet type at all, not merely that the Commission has discretion to block them. The Commission has separately barred wagers on high school and minor-league contests, fantasy sports contests, and events where the outcome is already publicly known, and requires its own approval before an operator can add a new sport, event, or wager type.

The Commission licenses individual racetrack enclosures to run sportsbooks; sports wagering first went live at licensed racetrack casinos in 2023, with additional properties adding sportsbooks through 2024. Each licensed operator answers to the Commission for compliance with the Act and its Title 296 rules.

Violations & Penalties

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 9-1116 makes willfully violating any provision of the Racetrack Gaming Act a Class I misdemeanor wherever the Act does not set a separate penalty: up to one year in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both under § 28-106. Taking a wager on an in-state college team, running wagering outside a licensed racetrack enclosure, or accepting mobile or online bets exposes an operator to Commission license discipline in addition to criminal liability.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bet on sports online or through an app in Nebraska?

No. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 9-1110(1) requires every sports wager to be placed in person or at a wagering kiosk inside the designated sports-wagering area of a licensed racetrack enclosure. The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission confirms on its own site that online and mobile sports wagering are not currently authorized in Nebraska, so there is no legal app-based option anywhere in the state.

Can I bet on Nebraska Cornhuskers games in Nebraska?

Not fully. Under § 9-1103(17), the statutory definition of "sports wagering" excludes wagers on the performance of an individual athlete in a collegiate game involving a Nebraska college or university team, and excludes in-game wagers on any collegiate contest a Nebraska team is playing in. Those bet types simply are not legal sports wagering under the Act, regardless of what a sportsbook might want to offer.

Where in Nebraska can I legally place a sports bet?

At a sportsbook window or wagering kiosk inside a licensed racetrack enclosure's designated sports-wagering area: nowhere else. The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission licenses individual racetrack casinos to run sportsbooks, and bettors must be at least 21 years old to enter the area or place a wager. There is no separate storefront or off-track sportsbook option under the Act.

What happens if someone takes an illegal sports bet in Nebraska?

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 9-1116 makes a willful violation of the Racetrack Gaming Act a Class I misdemeanor where the Act does not specify another penalty, punishable under § 28-106 by up to one year in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both. A licensed operator that takes bets outside the rules also risks Commission license discipline on top of criminal exposure.

Sources

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