The long-awaited debut of sports betting in Nebraska is finally here.
WarHorse Casino Lincoln announced Monday that its new sportsbook will open for business on Thursday.
The casino said that customers will be able to place wagers at the sportsbook window or any of the 10 kiosks placed throughout the facility. Warhorse is partnering with Kambi Group to provide the sportsbook and has hired Jason Johnston, who had been the sportsbook manager at BetMGM, to manage its sports betting operation.
“Nebraskans have been asking for the opportunity to wager on sports since the ballot initiatives were passed in 2020,†said Lance Morgan, CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc., parent company of WarHorse Gaming LLC. “We’re thrilled to be the first casino in the state to offer sports betting.â€
While the state's gambling regulations require bets to be placed onsite at the casino, gamblers can use WarHorse's app to build out their wagers, making it easier and faster to place them at Warhorse Lincoln.
Morgan noted that bettors will be able to bet on a wide variety of sports, not just major pro sports leagues such as Major League Baseball and the National Football League.
In fact, Nebraska's sports wagering catalog, approved last month by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, allows betting on a number of other pro sports, including golf and tennis, professional bull riding and rodeo and motorsports, as well as college sports.
The debut of sports wagering should give a boost to gambling taxes in Nebraska, which have been on the decline in recent months.
According to figures from the Racing and Gaming Commission, WarHorse Lincoln and the Grand Island Casino Resort combined to produce a little less than $1.3 million in May, which was the lowest amount since January.
Both casinos have seen tax collections decline the past two months after hitting records in March. However, the addition of sports betting in Lincoln as well as the opening of the state's third temporary casino — Harrah's Casino at Ag Park in Columbus — should increase those numbers.
Both the Grand Island and Columbus casinos are planning to add sports betting at some point, but it's likely to be at least a few months before they get started.