On February 10, a hearing at the state legislature was being held for three separate bills which would expand gambling in Nebraska. Both sides of the argument provided testimony during the hearings.

The first bill seeks to amend the state constitution. LR295CA would permit the legislature to legalize gambling throughout the state. The other two bills specifically address sports betting. One would redefine the state lottery to include sports betting, LB971, while the other would legalize all “games of skill.” This would include both fantasy sports and poker.

There is a growing push throughout the state to legalize gambling. One group, calling themselves ‘Keep the money in Nebraska,’ has already been working to gather the needed number of signatures to get the measure on the 2020 ballot. To be added as a referendum in November, the constitutional amendment needs at least 130,000 signatures, while the other two bills require about 70,000 each. The group has until July to get the requisite number of signatures to meet the deadline.

Not everyone is happy about the plan, however. Opponents of the bill were also expected to appear before the committee. Included in that group was former Nebraska Cornhuskers head football coach Tom Osborne as well as Johnny Rogers.