The Cornhusker State is continuing to expand as a legal sports betting market.
WarHorse Gaming — a Nebraska-based casino company — has received authorization from the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission to offer retail sports betting at WarHorse Casino Omaha. The $250-million facility, which will feature 1,200 slot machines, will open in 2024.
Until then, bettors will be allowed to place wagers at a temporary facility in Omaha owned by WarHorse. The company opened the transitory casino in September 2022, which provides guests with access to 400 slot machines and pari-mutuel simulcast wagering. WarHorse can begin offering sports betting as early as Nov. 1 at the temporary facility if certain conditions set by the NRGC are met. WarHorse is aiming to meet those conditions quickly.
“We really wanted to open [sports betting] as early in the football season as we could,” said Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association CEO Lynne McNally. “That’s a huge chunk of sports betting. Everything else is dwarfed by the NCAA and the NFL.”
The debut of sports wagering at WarHorse’s facility in Omaha comes after the company began accepting bets in June at its casino in Lincoln. WarHorse opened a retail sportsbook — in partnership with Kambi Group — that features self-service kiosks and betting windows.
WarHorse will also partner with Kambi for all of its sports betting operations in Omaha.
The casino is required to pay a 20% tax on gross gaming revenue due to having a sportsbook. The revenue from sports betting will be allocated toward the state’s property tax credit fund.
Retail only
WarHorse is poised to benefit from sports betting due to the lack of licensed online betting sites in Nebraska. In 2020, Nebraskans voted to approve sports betting and casino gaming at state-sanctioned horse racing tracks. Nebraska has no immediate plans to offer online betting.
Its neighboring states, including Colorado, Iowa, and Kansas all offer online sports wagering.
