Online Sports Betting in Nebraska
Published: | Updated:Located nearly in the middle of the United States, Nebraska is home to small towns and vast stretches of farmland. At first glance, one might think there’s not a lot happening in Nebraska. But that’s untrue! The state that invented everything from Kool-Aid to Renza is home to celebrities, athletes, and several historically important moments.
In 1927, Edwin Perkins transformed his soft drink syrup “Fruit Smack” into the famous Kool-Aid powder. The reason? It was easier to ship out. This directly led to the ever-popular Kool-Aid, which remains a fixture drink among the youth even in the modern day.
Nebraska is actually home to the largest indoor rainforest, with the Lied Lunge covering 1.5 acres of land in an eight-story building featuring flora, fauna, and animals from across the globe. Imagine going to the middle of the United States and telling friends you visited the Henry Doorly Zoo because you wanted to experience a rainforest.
Nebraska also has a few strange architectural builds that may seem out of place. The Carhenge, a replica of the historic English Stonehenge, is located north of Alliance, Nebraska. Made up of 38 old automobiles, Carhenge is arranged in the same proportions and shape as the original Stonehenge. Meanwhile, Ashland, Nebraska, has a lighthouse that stood for 75 years. That may not seem too unusual until you realize that Nebraska is landlocked with no oceans. Sure, there’s a lake nearby, but how many lighthouses do you know that don’t look out to the sea?
The name “Nebraska” actually originated with Otoe Indians.
The state’s name roughly translates to “flat water,” referring to the Platte River, which runs throughout the state.
NE is also home to one of the most famous billionaires in the world. Warren Buffett, jokingly referred to as the “Wizard of Omaha” or the “Oracle of Omaha,” still chooses to live humbly in the city of Omaha, Nebraska.
Sports Betting in Nebraska
Nebraska presents an interesting case for sports bettors, legislators, and fans of sports alike. While Nebraska sports betting has technically been legal since May 2021, the state has yet to formally launch it. The reason is that the proposed sports betting rules must now go through additional vetting and approval processes. The official launch date for Nebraska’s legalized sports betting remains unclear, but all signs are promising.
The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission published approved rules for sports betting but didn’t announce any official launch dates either. Licensed casinos in Nebraska that wish to provide legalized sports betting must still apply for and be granted unique vendor licenses for whichever company runs its books. The commission will also have to inspect (and approve) any equipment used for wagering purposes.
The expected date (reported potential date) for going live is end of 2023.
Potential Nebraska Sportsbook Apps
DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars, are usually among the first to launch in states that allow online, legal sports betting. Bally Bet – Monkey Knife Fight is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) provider that is operating in Nebraska already.
Nebraska sports betting laws are very specific about what, where, and how sports betting can take place within the state. It will only be available at approved racinos, and people must place wagers in person at kiosks at those approved locations.
Bettors will be able to wager on virtually everything – professional sports, international sports, and college sports, including awards, drafts, esports, and simulated games. The state won’t allow prop bets on individual collegiate athletes or bets on Nebraska-based college teams playing in-state. That’s roughly in line with most rules about betting on in-state programs across the United States. Bettors also won’t be able to place wagers on minor league sports or high school sports.
Interesting Facts about Nebraska
- Nebraska is home to Arbor Day, when Julius Morton proposed, in 1872, a holiday to plant trees. The day selected was April 10th, and they awarded prizes to the counties and individuals who planted the most trees that day. Roughly one million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day, and the tradition and legal holiday have continued into the present day.
- Nebraska has an official state fossil, the mammoth. The largest mammoth fossil to be found anywhere in the world can be found in Nebraska. It was discovered in 1922 and was identified as the remains of a Columbian mammoth.
- The popular college sports team, the Nebraska Huskers, has a stadium capable of seating more the 90,000 people. On any given gameday for college football, the stadium becomes the 3rd most populated place in the entire state.
- Nebraska is home to “Runza,” a popular fast food chain local to NE that makes hot stuffed pastries. Widely beloved by Nebraskans, there are actually 82 Runza’s sprinkled throughout the state. But it’s highly unlikely you’ll find a non-Nebraskan who has ever had Runza.
More insightful facts:
- Within the Runza realm, Nebraska featured an interesting law from the late 1800s through the mid-1990s. Nebraska forbids merchants from selling… donut holes. Lawmakers believed they were a waste and that by selling the middle of a donut, bakers were trying to illegally increase profits. In some areas of Nebraska, those tasty fried treats are still hard to come by!
- Despite being one of the least populated states, Nebraska is home to a wide variety of big-name celebrity stars. Marlon Brando, Fred Astaire, Nick Nolte, and Gerald Ford were all residential homeowners in NE.
- The University of Nebraska features a diehard, rabid fanbase of support for their football program. That same football program features the largest weight room for any football team (at any level) in the United States. Have you ever heard of “cornfed” strength? The Cornhusker’s weight room is 3/4ths of an acre – plenty of space for the big boys to throw weight around.
Popular Sports
Like most states, the most popular sports are pretty consistent for Nebraska: football, volleyball, baseball, softball, and basketball reign supreme. But there’s a lot of quality in Nebraska in the form of sports with lesser popularity as well. There’s nothing wrong with following nationally popular sports, nor is there anything wrong with playing them. But soccer is a quietly popular and successful sport throughout the high school and college levels. Gymnastics is another under-the-radar sport that has produced some impressive collegiate finishes.
Simply put, in the world of sports, there are some that are always going to be more popular than others, generating more headlines and fan support.
Popular Sports Teams
In Nebraska, no matter what your professional allegiances are or where they lie, everything is secondary to the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Huskers football team is the most popular sports team in the entire state. They would likely bring in enormous sports betting handle, but in-state bettors cannot wager on in-state teams, per consistent rules across the United States.
There are no professional sports teams in the state of Nebraska, so loyalty to pro teams is generally geared towards neighboring or nearby states.
For the NFL, Nebraskans tend to root for the Denver Broncos or Kansas City Chiefs.
For the MLB, Nebraskans lean towards either the Kansas City Royals, the Colorado Rockies, or the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs being owned by the family of the Nebraskan Governor (Pete Ricketts) doesn’t hurt either.
In the NBA, Nebraskans lean towards either the Chicago Bulls or the Denver Nuggets.
College Sports
College sports matter most in Nebraska, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a state with more universal fandom than NE has for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Cornhuskers have enjoyed decades of high attendance and well-traveling fans across all sports. Their fans are fiercely loyal (almost to a fault) and dedicated to the point where the school has engraved “the greatest fans in college football” above all the gates at their football stadium. With red as a main fixture color in their uniforms, games at Memorial Stadium are jokingly referred to as “a sea of red.” The Huskers have sold out every single home football game since November 3rd, 1962, the longest sellout streak in all of college sports.
As mentioned, the fans travel for their team as well. In a 2000 game against Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, an estimated 35,000 Nebraska fans showed up in bright red to watch as #1 Nebraska beat #25 Notre Dame.
One underrated element of their college program is the emphasis on academics. Nebraska has quietly produced 347 academic All-Americans, second only to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) among US universities. They have more Academic All-Americans than any other Division 1 program.
Famous Athletes
- Bob Gibson: “Gibby” was a 9x MLB All-Star, a 2x World Series Champion, and an NL MVP. He also was a 2x Cy Young Award winner and a 2x World Series MVP. With over 250 career wins and over 3,000 strikeouts, Gibson is one of the best pitchers of all time and a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
- Gale Sayers: Born in Kansas but raised in Nebraska, Sayers had a sadly short NFL career, despite his immense gifts. A 5x First-Team All-Pro, 2x NFL rushing yards leader, and a member of both the Pro Football and College Football Hall of Fame, Sayers holds the NFL record for most touchdowns by an RB in his rookie season (22). Knee injuries robbed him of his ability to play, but his rookie season was one for the ages.
- Grover Cleveland Alexander: “Old Pete” finished his career with an astounding 373 wins and nearly 2,200 strikeouts as a pitcher. A World Series champion and 3x Triple Crown winner, Old Pete was an easy selection for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Gale Sayers: Born in Kansas but raised in Nebraska, Sayers had a sadly short NFL career, despite his immense gifts. A 5x First-Team All-Pro, 2x NFL rushing yards leader, and a member of both the Pro Football and College Football Hall of Fame, Sayers holds the NFL record for most touchdowns by an RB in his rookie season (22). Knee injuries robbed him of his ability to play, but his rookie season was one for the ages.More Famous Names:
- Tom Osborne: Osborne first played college football as a wide receiver and quarterback at Hastings in Nebraska. But he’s best known for his 25-year reign as the head coach of the Cornhuskers football program, during which he went 255-49-3 (a winning percentage of .836). He won 13 conference titles, 3 national championships and coached 53 All-Americans.
- Johnny Rodgers: Rodgers won the Heisman trophy in 1972 as the quarterback for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Though he never really broke into the NFL, he did finish his career as a Grey Cup (CFL) champion and a 3x CFL All-Star.
- Sam Crawford: “Wahoo Sam” was one of the greatest sluggers of his era, leading the league in home runs twice and RBIs thrice. He also holds the MLB career record for triples with a ridiculous 309, a record that is safe to say will never be touched. He was known for his intense rivalry with teammate Ty Cobb, despite them helping the team to 3 AL championships.
- Ed Weir: Known as one of there best Cornhuskers of all time, Weir was the first ever Nebraska Cornhusker to be elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. He was an offensive tackle for the Cornhuskers and an All-American in 1924-1925.
Responsible Gambling in Nebraska
If gambling is causing a problem in your life, we encourage you to ask questions, gather information and conduct research on the type of help that is most appropriate for your situation. This information is intended to be a starting point—it is not a complete list of information or services. You can read more about available RG tools in Missouri here. There is always help to get from the Missouri Department of Mental Health. You can also call the contact for the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER or chat: www.1800gamblerchat.org.
It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to offer support, resources, and referrals to anyone affected by problem gambling. Want to learn more about online casinos and sports gambling? Follow our Online Gamblers Academy and learn how to have fun responsibly!
Here is also information about Nebraska Council on Problem Gambling: You can reach them by calling 402.890.0504 or emailing bcornish.ncpg@outlook.com.
