Is sports betting legal in Nebraska?
Yes, but only in person. Nebraska allows sports betting at the sportsbooks of its licensed racetrack casinos, for adults 21 and over, regulated by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission. Online and mobile betting are not authorized.
Racetracks only
Nebraska tied sports betting to its horse tracks. The Nebraska Racetrack Gaming Act (sections 9-1101 to 9-1118 of the state statutes) permits games of chance only at licensed racetrack enclosures, and section 9-1110 says every sports wager "shall be placed in person or at a wagering kiosk" in the designated sports wagering area there. The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission puts it more bluntly: online and mobile sports wagering are not authorized in Nebraska.
The Commission lists four gaming facilities: Harrah's Columbus Racing & Casino, WarHorse Casino Lincoln, WarHorse Casino Omaha and Grand Island Casino Resort. You must be 21 to enter the sports wagering area or place a bet. The Commission's pages I read don't give the date the first sportsbook opened, so I won't guess at one.
What you can and can't bet
The Commission keeps an approved wagering menu, and a book can only offer what's on it. Nebraska colleges get special treatment. You can't bet a college game played in Nebraska when a Nebraska school is in it, you can't bet on an individual player's numbers in a game involving a Nebraska college team, and you can't bet in-game on a Nebraska college team, wherever it plays. So the Huskers are off the board at home and off the live board everywhere.
I understand why. A state that cares this much about its college football doesn't want anyone leaning on a backup lineman. But it does mean the bet a Nebraska fan wants most is the one the counter won't take.
Winnings are taxable income; the IRS says so.
Where the offshore books fit
With no mobile betting in the state, offshore apps are the obvious temptation. Those books aren't licensed by Nebraska, and the Commission has no say over them. At a racetrack sportsbook, a dispute goes to a regulator. Offshore, it goes to the book's own customer service, and that's the end of the line. I'd know which one I was dealing with before I deposited. Our offshore sportsbooks page lays out how they work.
If gambling is costing more than it should, the Nebraska 24-hour helpline is 1-833-BETOVER (238-6837), and our responsible gambling guide has more.
*Checked against Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission on 28 October 2026. Laws change; this page is re-checked every quarter. This is not legal advice.*
Related questions
Where is sports betting legal?
Of the 38 states we have checked, 31 allow legal sports betting in some form and 7 do not, as of 28 October 2026. The form varies a lot: some states let you bet on your phone anywhere inside their borders, others only at a casino counter, a tribal casino or through one state-run book.
How old do you have to be to bet on sports?
21 in most states that allow sports betting, and 18 in a few, New Hampshire and Rhode Island among them. The age that counts is the one set by the state you are in when you place the bet, so check that state's regulator.
Is sports betting legal in Iowa?
Yes. Iowa took its first legal sports bets on 15 August 2019 and allows betting at licensed casinos and online, for adults 21 and over who are in the state, licensed by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.
Is sports betting legal in Kansas?
Yes. Kansas allows sports betting at its lottery gaming facilities (the state's casinos) and on mobile apps, for adults 21 and over who are in Kansas, under a law the governor approved on 12 May 2022. The Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission enforces the rules.