Nebraska residents are no exception to the desires for a big win even though the state does not host many gambling facilities. Luckily, online gambling has become a medium that is accessible to locals, which is legal and safe. Legal online casinos in Nebraska are a great way for players to get their gambling fix any time of the day. Since land casinos are not common in Nebraska, players have found that online casinos carry just as much gambling excitement you would expect to see in a land casino and much much more. Online Casino bonuses are what attract players to.
- Horseracing (1934), Bingo (1958), Keno (1985), Off-track Betting (1988), Lottery (1992)
- $38 million
- $160 million
- 18 for racing and bingo, 19 for lotteries and keno
- Nebraska bans smoking in all public places
- All forms are illegal
There is very little in the way of Nebraska gambling. Horse racing, charity bingo, keno and a state lottery are the only games legal in the state. There are four Nebraska racetracks that offer live horse racing. Simulcast betting is also permitted at these locations. Despite there no being any specific Nebraska casinos, the racetracks and other establishments that serve alcohol can hold live keno drawings. This makes them the closest you can get to a Nebraska casino location without leaving the state.
That is a drastic contrast from neighboring states, all of which have casinos. The closest casinos in the east part of the state are in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Players in the western part of the state will need to go to South Dakota or Kansas for casino action. The state lottery sells scratch-off tickets and lotto drawings.
Paying Gambling Taxes in Nebraska
OnlineUnitedStatesCasinos has gathered everything you need to know about paying gambling taxes straight from a Certified Public Accountant. Visit our exclusive Gambling Taxes Guide and learn how to report your gambling income.
Nebraska Casinos Map & Racetracks Guide
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Types of Nebraska Online Gambling Allowed
Online gambling in Nebraska is illegal. While the state permits tracks to offer race books, this does not carry over to simulcast betting sites. Companies like TVG and TwinSpires are not licensed in the state.

Daily fantasy sports sites operate in Nebraska, although the games are not expressly legal. The companies claim that they are permitted because the activity is a game of skill. The state attorney general has not released an opinion that contradicts those claims. There is a bill pending that would define daily fantasy sports as a skill game. It has yet to gain a committee hearing.
Types of Live Nebraska Gambling
- All Casino Games: No
- Horses: Yes
- Lottery: Yes
There are only four types of live gambling that are legal in Nebraska: horse races, charity gambling, keno, and the state lottery.
Each type comes with their own laws and regulations to keep them in check. After you learn what types of gambling is allowed in Nebraska, you should check out the gambling laws to makes sure you are eligible to play or bet.
Nebraska Racetracks
There are four Nebraska racetracks that offer live horse racing. Each has an off-track race book where players can place their bets.
The state still has not legalized casino games, so you will find no Nebraska racinos at these tracks. For keno games, players need to go to an establishment that serves alcohol.
Charities may offer bingo, keno, and raffle drawings. These charities must be registered as a legitimate charity with the state in order to be allowed to have these Nebraska casino events.
Closest Thing to Nebraska Casinos
Restaurants and other establishments that serve alcohol, as well as convenience stores may have keno drawings. Keno is a popular “luck” casino game, that can even be found in Las Vegas and Atlantic City casinos.
This is as close as residents will get to having Nebraska casinos within their state borders until legislation approves casino gambling.
The Nebraska Lottery may sell scratch-off tickets and number drawings. This includes multi-state lottos like Powerball and Mega Millions.
Nebraska Gambling Laws
Nebraska gambling laws are very strict. Any gambling expansion in Nebraska requires a constitutional amendment, including a statewide referendum. Most attempts to expand gambling in Nebraska fails. According to Nebraska gambling laws, most gambling crimes are misdemeanors for first offenders. The exception is gambling debt collection, which is a Class III felony.
Racetracks are legal in Nebraska, where racebooks are legal in the state. Only horses may compete on the racetracks. The only requirement for a racebook is that the venue offers, at least, one race day each year. Racetracks and off-track betting operations must be licensed by the Nebraska State Racing Commission.
The state lottery may only offer two types of games. Scratch-off tickets and lotto drawings are the only two permissible activities. The Nebraska Lottery may join interstate drawings, and it does. This includes Powerball and Mega Millions. Lottery tickets may not be sold over the Internet.
Businesses that hold a liquor license may operate live keno games, making them the only “Nebraska casinos” in the state. Keno operations may use electronic devices to determine the winning numbers. Video keno machines that mimic video poker devices are not legal. Keno establishments must be approved through a local referendum. Keno may only operate during hours when it is legal to sell alcohol, which is typically no later than 2 am. There is a two percent tax rate on keno proceeds.
The minimum gambling age in Nebraska is 18 years for betting on horses and playing charity games. Minimum Nebraska gambling age is 19 years for players that want to buy a lottery ticket or play keno for real money.
Smoking is not allowed in any establishment where gambling is legal. The law only exempts tobacco shops and hotel rooms.
List of Nebraska Racetracks
There are four Nebraska racetracks in the state. Each of these locations has a racebook where gamblers can place their bets. There are currently no official Nebraska casinos, as the state has not yet legalized casino gambling; this may change in the future. You can easily locate any racetrack using our interactive Nebraska casino map & racetrack guide.
Casino | Size | Address | Website |
---|---|---|---|
Columbus Exposition and Racing – Columbus | Thoroughbred | 822 15th Street | www.columbushorseracing.org |
Fonner Park – Grand Island | Thoroughbred | 700 East Stolley Park Road | www.fonnerpark.com |
Horsemen’s Park – Omaha | Thoroughbred | 6303 Q Street | www.horsemenspark.com |
Lincoln Race Course – Lincoln | Thoroughbred | 7055 South 1st Street | www.lincolnracing.com |
There are dozens of charitable and municipal gambling operations in the state. These places spread bingo and raffle games. Many bars in Nebraska offer live keno drawings, making them the closest thing to a real Nebraska casino as residents can get without leaving the state.
History of Nebraska Gambling
All forms of gambling were banned under the Nebraska Constitution until 1934. That is when live horse racing was legalized through a constitutional amendment. Charity bingo was legalized in 1958. The first keno operation launched in 1985. Off-track betting was added to the racing enterprises in 1988. Voters approved a state lottery in 1992.
Keno is the most controversial form of gambling in Nebraska. Some cities and counties have refused to permit the activity. Multiple attempts to expand keno into video gaming devices have failed.
In January 2016, keno players figured out a random number generator and hit for about $150,000 at a restaurant in St. Mary. This was not the first time keno was a problem in Nebraska. Employees of a keno operator were accused of stealing $100,000 in 2005.
With such a rocky gambling history, Nebraska casinos expansion does not look good for the near future. However, with neighboring states having a thriving gambling scene, Nebraska casino gamblers can always go there to play casino games and more.
Nebraska Casino & Gambling FAQ
What is the minimum gambling age in Nebraska?
The minimum Nebraska gambling age is 18 years for horse racing and charity games, and 19 years for lotteries and keno.
Live racing and simulcast betting are legal in Nebraska.
No. Sites like TVG and TwinSpires are not licensed in the state.
Many bars and restaurants offer live keno.
No. Players must travel to Iowa, South Dakota or Kansas for casinos.
Fantasy sports contests appear to be legal in Nebraska.
Is online poker, casinos or sports betting legal in Nebraska?
Is Nebraska keno rigged?
There is some question about the randomness of keno drawing machines after players discovered a pattern in January 2016.
America’s views on gambling are quite polarized. This is because some of the states are more lenient towards the practice whilst others are not. This is a consequence of the American states having autonomy over each other, deciding their own laws to govern by. Thus, you may be wondering about the state of gambling in NE. Unfortunately, Nebraska is quite strict compared to its counterparts, offering only a narrow range of wagering that certifies as forms of USA legal gambling online, from casino games to online gambling. Let’s dive into this.
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Contents
What Is Nebraska’s View On Gambling?
According to Nebraska’s legislature, the definition of gambling is present in Section 28-1101 [B] as when ‘A person engages in gambling if he or she bets something of value upon the outcome of a future event, which outcome is determined by an element of chance, or upon the outcome of a game, contest, or election.’ This definition of gambling is unilateral with the rest of the states in the USA.
Through this definition, it is clear what Nebraska views as wagering. This can be noted as most casino games such as poker, blackjack, slot machines, roulette, baccarat, and sports betting as well as all forms of online gambling.
So, what exactly is the legality and availability of the above? Up to what extent are casino games and their online counterparts allowed? Read ahead as we are about to find out below.
Are There Any Casinos In The State? How Legal Are they?
No Nebraska state casinos are present. However, there are privately owned casinos, but there are laws in place making sure that they can only be run by native Indian tribes,. This Native American law bypasses the legislature’s ruling on casinos. Thus, there are only four casinos in the whole of the state as there are only four tribes present. If you want a list of the casinos in Nebraska, it is as follows:
- Iron Horse Bar & Casino
- Lucky 77
- Native Star Casino
- Ohiya Casino
Unfortunately, if you want to play casino games, there are limitations as to what can be played within the walls of the casino itself – only class II gaming. If you’re wondering what this means, it’s slot machines, keno, and bingo. But, the difference is that the slots only play out random numbers that are based off bingo cards. This is different from class III gaming, as here, for example, the online slot for real money in Nebraska play out numbers through a random number generator.
With that being said, you can still use your cash and play for real money, just at specific locations, on specific types of machines. If this doesn’t bother you, you’re sure to have a great time at Nebraska’s casinos.
However, if you’re determined to see a change, you might be in luck as many lawmakers are pressuring the state to relax their restrictions on casino gaming, as well as its online counterpart, asking for commercial casinos to be present such as those in states like Nevada. According to them, these can bring in a huge profit for the state. You could be optimistic and hope for the best, but this may be unlikely due to the state’s conservative view of the casino world and its online counterparts.
What About Sports Betting In Nebraska? Is It Legal?
Similar to casinos, sports betting has its restrictions in the state but many people are finding ways to bypass this through online sites. Let’s talk about the state’s stance on sports betting. Nebraska fully views the act of sports betting as illegal. When they had the chance to legalize it during the PASPA repeal in 2018, they chose not to. The governor of the state even came forward and said, “Sports betting is illegal in Nebraska and we have no plans to change that.”
You may be thinking that sports betting is not thriving in the region, but you’re wrong, to a degree at least. What this means is that although physical sports betting is outlawed, you can still bet on fantasy sports teams online. This is as you are online sites that are not based in Nebraska, so you don’t have to worry about breaking the state’s law. Fortunately, several bills have been passed to legalize and at least regulate sports betting.
But, if you consider horse racing a form of sports betting, then this is completely legal in the eyes of Nebraska gambling laws. There are 5 racing tracks in the state and this is the only legal form of gambling that is state-approved. They were the first type of wagering to be legalized in Nebraska, which was then succeeded by charity bingo. Through this, you are offered simulcast wagering. Unfortunately, there are no casinos that act as ‘racinos’.
What Is Nebraska’s stance on Online Gambling?
Nebraska’s legislature is strict in its stance on the realm of online casinos and other forms of internet wagering. This means they are very much illegal. So, if you Google online gambling NE, as you can imagine, you will not be met with many results because online gambling in Nebraska isn’t alive. However, as we live in the age of the internet, you can try to bypass this online block through entities known as offshore RTG casino USA websites, which is also a common method of gambling that individuals use across the globe.
Online gambling in NE is slowly waking up from its slumber due to the multiple online sites present. Now, If you don’t exactly know what offshore websites are, they are online entities that are located in an area that is offshore from your location. As the site is not in Nebraska, visitors from anywhere in the US can readily avoid the illegality of all forms of online gambling in their state- be it virtual casino games or sports betting.
So, if you’re wondering ‘is Bovada legal in Nebraska’, yes it is, as it is one of the most common online gambling sites in the world. And, if you’re wondering ‘is online poker legal in Nebraska’ technically no, but you can still play it along with all your favourite casino games like online slots in Nebraska real money as well as sports betting through the offshore sites.
Thus, you can, yet can’t gamble online in Nebraska. It depends on whether you want to explore the grey territory that is online gambling.
How Do You Know Which Offshore Site Is For You?
Although these sites are used by many, you need to make sure that you find yourself one that will be the best for you. You can do this by checking those which are the most popular. These offshore websites have many clients, so you can be sure that they don’t take part in any underhand business with your money as they have a reputation to uphold.
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In the same way, you need to make sure that the online site has a large population of players, and is popular amongst the community. What this means is that you have to check reviews on online, possibly surfing through their own customer review page. However, the most trustworthy option is forums on sites like Reddit, Quora or even 4chan.
Another great way to test their quality is to see if they are certified or have any kind of professional casino acclamation. If you see this you know you’re dealing with an entity that has awarded to its name, and it did not get there by providing terrible service.
It’s obvious as to why you need to be extra cautious when picking out the best online site for yourself as they handle your money, holding it for the bets you place.
Are Monike Online Casinos Legal In Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Consequences Of Not Following These Laws?
Before we talk about the consequences of not following Nebraska’s gambling laws, let’s talk about what the legal gambling age in Nebraska is: it’s 21 if you want to take part in any casino game, and 19 if you want to dabble in the lottery and 18 for playing any sort of bingo. This is as casinos serve alcohol.
If you decide to break any of the mentioned laws, you will find yourself with a hefty fine and even a prison sentence. However, if you somehow get caught violating Nebraska’s online gambling laws by visiting an interstate site- a Nebraska run online casino, you won’t really fall into any trouble. Instead, the owner of the site will get most of the heat for breaking the gambling law. So, will you be googling ‘online casinos in Nebraska state’?
What Is the future for gambling in the state?
If you think about the state of gambling in Nebraska in 5 years’ time, you might not see much change. But, if you go all the way to 10 or even 20 years into the future you will most probably be met with some changes in the online gambling scene as Nebraska will eventually realize how beneficial it can be to their economy to have virtual casinos.
Hence, get ready for your search history to have Nebraska online gambling and Nebraska online casinos in it, as this hopefully become a reality.
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