- Nebraska sports betting reached a record $1.5 million in November, with casinos expected to nearly double last year’s revenue by the end of 2025.
- Growth came from new casino openings and tighter regulations on skill game machines found in bars and convenience stores statewide.
- Online betting legislation will likely return in 2026 after this year’s strong performance made a stronger case for expansion.
LINCOLN – Nebraska’s casinos are having a strong year, and November’s numbers make it clear this isn’t just a temporary surge. Anyone still uncertain about where this industry is headed should take note of these results.
Last month, sports bets at the state’s five racetrack casinos took in over $1.5 million, shattering the previous record of $1.2 million set a year earlier. That kind of leap doesn’t happen by accident, and it’s creating a strong case for what ought to happen next.
The WarHorse properties in Lincoln and Omaha contributed about $1.2 million of the total. The real standout was Grand Island Casino Resort, whose numbers increased by about 80% from November 2024 and for the first time exceeded $200,000. College football betting was the main draw in the fall, according to the casino’s manager, Vince Fiala, with parlay bets being especially popular among gamblers looking for larger rewards.
More Than Just Sports Bets
One factor contributing to the success of the state’s casino industry this year is legal sports betting. With $24.1 million in total casino revenue, November was the third-best month ever. Nebraska is expected to generate over $260 million in total income by the end of 2025, which is nearly 80% more than the $145.7 million earned in 2024.
The expansion has been deliberate and well-planned. The state now has five commercial casinos after WarHorse Casino Omaha’s full opening in April and Elite Casino Resorts’ arrival in August. In order to control skill gaming machines that are found in pubs and convenience stores around the state, lawmakers simultaneously imposed a 5 percent tax on earnings from more than 5,500 devices spread over roughly 1,600 locations in Nebraska.
The trajectory is clearly visible in the difference between this year and last. Nebraska sportsbooks made over $2.26 million from slightly over $25.5 million in total wagers between September and December of 2024. These numbers should easily double in the last four months of 2025, with the industry keeping a hold rate of about 10% for the most of the year.
The question now is what happens next with Nebraska sportsbooks. Earlier this year, Senator Eliot Bostar advocated for online betting on the 2026 election; however, he later withdrew the bill, citing improper timing.
According to his idea, each licensed racetrack and casino could collaborate with a single online betting platform, potentially bringing in roughly $32 million a year in tax income for property tax relief. That discussion will very certainly resurface when the legislature meets again, given the type of revenue 2025 has brought in.
