Sports betting at the War Horse Lincoln Casino launched in June of last year and since that time three other locations have opened. The positive returns could be a precursor to getting legislators to approve mobile sports betting in the Cornhusker State.
Sports Betting Buzz
If you are in Nebraska and want to make a bet then you can find retail sportsbooks at Grand Island, Columbus, Omaha, and Lincoln. The latter is the home of the War Horse Lincoln Casino, the state’s first and most popular sportsbook, generating 70% of the $1.7 million in collective sports betting revenue since the beginning of the year. According to reports, the War Horse Lincoln has generated $2.4 million since June 2023.
“We celebrated our one-year anniversary back on June 22,” Jason Johnston, WarHorse Casino Sportsbook Manager, said. “It’s been an amazing year.” Josh Lubrano of the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission said, “There’s a buzz. People like to talk about it when they go place wagers, and that buzz just creates more buzz.”
One of the driving forces in getting retail sports betting legalized was the mass exodus of sports bettors traveling to neighboring states like Iowa to place sports bets. Lawmakers decided they wanted to keep that money in Nebraska and it has proven to be a prudent decision.
“A lot of people drive into Council Bluffs to wager on Nebraska home games,’ Johnston said. “We’d love to keep revenue in that state. Nebraska has a very passionate fanbase.”
Unfortunately, wagering on in-state university games is prohibited, which means Nebraska Cornhusker fans must travel outside the state or use offshore sportsbooks to get down. At some point, the state legislature may reconsider that prohibition but, as of this writing, it remains in effect and will force those Huskers’ fans to continue to use alternative resources to make a wager.
Mobile Sports Betting a Possibility
War Horse Lincoln and Omaha are operating out of temporary locations but permanent sites are being built and once they are ready to welcome the general public, interest is expected to grow even more. But as enticing as a more aesthetically appealing casino and sportsbook will be, the holy grail would be getting mobile sports betting legalized and launched in the state.
“It’s not only going to be a resort, but a great experience for patrons to come in and have a great viewing experience,” Johnston said. “They’ll be able to play tables and slots. Hopefully, we’ll have mobile sports betting approved by then, so patrons can place a bet from their phone while at the bar.”
“I think it’s the future of sports betting,” Johnston added. “It’s a great opportunity not just for WarHorse, but for the people of Nebraska.”
In a rather interesting twist, a coalition comprised of FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars has partnered with Ho-Chunk Inc., the economic development wing of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. The coalition has pulled back on spending millions to lobby for online sports betting in the state after a poll commissioned by the group in February showed that 57% of surveyed Nebraskans would approve of mobile sports betting.
However, that approval rating wasn’t high enough for the group to campaign for a referendum allowing voters to decide the fate of mobile sports betting in November. Lance Morgan, the CEO of Ho-Chunk, the parent company of WarHorse Gaming, explained the coalition’s rationale.
“If you’re at 57 (percent support), it creates some possibility that you could lose unless you really were to put substantial resources into it,” Morgan said. “It doesn’t make any sense to go to war unless you have a war chest lined up.”
