Nebraska Horse Racing Betting
Legal Nebraska horse racing betting options consist of online racebooks and in-person wagering at licensed racetracks. Most Nebraska horse racetracks also offer simulcast wagering on races held nationwide.
Once in a state of decline, the Nebraska horse racing industry is expanding thanks to a 2020 ballot initiative authorizing casinos at racetracks.
The initiative led to expanded racing facilities, new casino construction projects, more racing dates, growing purses, and renewed investment into Nebraska horse breeding.
Nebraska Horse Racing Betting Sites
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Nebraska law does not address online horse racing betting, but all major advance deposit wagering platforms (ADWs) operate under the assumption that existing pari-mutuel laws suffice.
The Nebraska Racing & Gaming Commission seems to agree because it has never pressured ADWs headquartered in other states to cease serving residents.
Online Racebooks in Nebraska
Nebraska Horse Racetracks
Six racetracks operate in Nebraska today, but only Fonner Park maintains a full racing season. All other Nebraska horse racetracks run a handful of races annually, but most offer year-round simulcast wagering.
However, the Nebraska horse racing industry is set to expand considerably as construction continues on additional casinos tied to horse racing. Additionally, legislation passed in 2022 requires each racetrack to host a minimum number of horse races annually:
- Beginning January 1st, 2026: At least five live racing days and 50 individual races
- Beginning January 1st, 2031: At least 15 live racing days and 120 individual races
Harrah’s Columbus
Columbus Exposition & Racing partnered with Caesars Entertainment in 2021 to construct a new, one-mile racetrack and 40,000-square-foot casino under Harrah’s branding.
Harrah’s Columbus opened in May 2024, offering live thoroughbred racing and simulcast wagering at Caesars Sportsbook.
Fonner Park
Fonner Park at Grand Island Casino Resort operates Nebraska’s most extensive horse racing season, with 30+ live race days scheduled annually. The facility also offers year-round simulcast wagering.
Legacy Downs at WarHorse Casino Lincoln
The track formerly known as Lincoln Race Course became Legacy Downs when WarHorse Casino Lincoln opened in November 2024. In addition to live racing, the facility offers year-round simulcasting.
Horsemen’s Park at WarHorse Casino Omaha
Horsemen’s Park at WarHorse Casino Omaha has ramped up its live racing schedule since opening its renovated and upgraded facility in 2024. The track also offers year-round simulcast wagering.
Fairplay Park
Fairplay Park runs Nebraska’s only quarter horse races.
Its parent company, Hastings Exposition, plans to build Lake Mac Casino Resort in Ogallala in partnership with Elite Casino Resorts.
If approved, Lake Mac Casino Resort will feature a new 5/8 mile racetrack, casino gambling, a sportsbook, and simulcast wagering.
In the meantime, Hastings Exposition runs one race day annually at Fairplay Park, which is the minimum required to maintain its racetrack license.
Atokad Park
Ho-Chunk, Inc. acquired Atokad Park in 2012 and has hosted one day of live racing every year since, the minimum required to maintain its racetrack license, amid longer-term plans to build a casino should state law change.
Ho-Chunk’s investment paid off in 2020 when voters approved casino gambling at racetracks.
More recently, Ho-Chunk, Inc. announced plans to move its South Sioux City horse racing operations about a mile east to the site of a planned $60 million casino and racetrack. The future WarHorse South Sioux City facility will feature a 5/8-mile race track, casino games, and a sportsbook.
Nebraska Off-Track Betting Locations
Nebraska horse racing betting law restricts simulcast wagering to licensed racetracks only. As a result, there are no standalone off-track betting facilities (OTBs) in Nebraska.
However, four Nebraska racetracks offer simulcast wagering on horse races held nationwide:
- Harrah’s Columbus: Simulcast wagering available seven days a week
- Legacy Downs: Legacy Downs at WarHorse Casino Lincoln offers off-track wagering seven days a week in a dedicated simulcasting area featuring 100+ TVs
- Fonner Park: Simulcast wagering available seven days a week at Finish Line Restaurant, featuring 170+ TVs
- Horsemen’s Park: Horsemen’s Park at WarHorse Casino Omaha offers off-track betting seven days a week in the simulcasting area featuring 110+ TVs
Nebraska Horse Racing Betting Law
The Nebraska Racing & Gaming Commission regulates all racing activity in the state. The Commission’s duties include licensing race tracks, approving racing events, ensuring fairness, and monitoring tracks, teams, and handlers.
Readers can see Nebraska’s horse racing laws and regulations in full here:
Nebraska Horse Racing Wagering Timeline
Nebraska legalized pari-mutuel wagering and established the Nebraska State Racing Commission in 1935.
Additional legislation over the subsequent years has significantly altered the legal landscape and expanded fans’ wagering options. Some of the key developments in the Nebraska horse racing timeline include:
- 1934: Voters approve Amendment 3 to legalize pari-mutuel horse racing wagering; enabling legislation passed the following year
- 1988: Nebraska legalizes simulcasting at licensed racetracks, allowing visitors to wager on races nationwide
- 2020: Voters approve Nebraska Initiative 430 to authorize casino games at racetracks
- 2021: LB 561 establishes regulations to implement Racetrack Gaming Act, raises pari-mutuel wagering age to 21, changes commission’s name to the Nebraska Racing & Gaming Commission, and authorizes sports betting at racetracks
- 2022: LB 876 establishes minimum number of race days and individual races racetracks must host each year
Nebraska Historical Horse Racing Machines
The Nebraska legislature passed a bill authorizing racetracks to install historical horse racing machines (HHRs) in 2012. At the time, Nebraska’s horse racing industry faced increasingly bleak financial prospects amid declining race attendance and wagering revenue. Governor Heineman vetoed the bill over concerns it represented an expansion of gambling, which would require a constitutional amendment and majority voter approval.
The legislature acknowledged the constitutional concerns in its second attempt two years later when it passed legislation to put an amendment proposal on the November 2014 ballot. However, the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that the amendment violated constitutional requirements for amendment proposals and ordered it removed from the ballot.
The Nebraska horse racing commission took an alternative approach in 2018 by adopting regulations authorizing HHRs at racetracks. The Office of the Attorney General successfully opposed the commission’s “unilateral decision to expand gambling without action by the Legislature or the citizens of Nebraska.”
All desire for historical horse racing machines evaporated after voters approved Nebraska Initiative 430, which was even more beneficial to Nebraska’s horse racing financials because it legalized full-scale gambling at licensed racetracks.
Nebraska Horse Racing Betting FAQ
Wes Burns has more than a decade’s worth of experience as a writer, researcher and analyst in the legal gambling industry and is co-founder of BettingUSA.com. As a former professional online poker player, Wes approaches his work from the viewpoint of players.