Nebraska
Gambling Laws 2026

Sports betting is legal in Nebraska, one of 36 states where it is, as of May 2026. Commercial casinos are legal, as they are in 24 states, and online casino gambling is illegal. Nebraska has a state lottery, and horse racing is legal.

Nebraska took a significant step in 2020 when voters approved a ballot measure authorizing commercial casino gambling at licensed horse racing tracks. The first casinos opened in 2022, with WarHorse Casino in Lincoln among the earliest to operate. Additional casinos tied to racing facilities across the state followed. Sports betting at licensed casinos is also legal. The lottery has operated since 1993.

Before 2020, Nebraska had almost no legal gambling beyond the lottery and tribal casinos on the Omaha and Winnebago tribal reservations. The ballot measure changed the landscape meaningfully, though the resulting casinos are tied to horse racing tracks and are smaller than the large commercial operations in Iowa or Missouri.

For residents, the options are newer and still developing. If you live near Lincoln or Omaha, a casino is accessible. Rural areas have fewer options. Sports betting is legal at casinos but fully mobile-only betting is not available in the same way as in neighboring Iowa or Colorado. Online casino gambling is not legal. Nebraska is in an expansion phase, and the market looks different than it will in five years.

Commercial casinos approved 2020, opened 2022 at horse racing tracks. Sports betting legal at casinos only.

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Also on Nebraska: the full Nebraska profile covers taxes, cost of living, crime and schools, and the county map lets you compare every county in the state. For related rules, read the Nebraska sex laws guide and the Nebraska country music guide.