When Will Sports Betting Be Available in Omaha?

This football season (2019), those living in Omaha will be able to bet sports from Ameristar Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa, a mere 10 minute drive from the city.  Offshore (internationally licensed) sportsbooks are also accessible from this region.

Betting is likely to be available by the first week of college football.

Nebraska residents will be happy to know that all forms of bets will be taken on the Cornhuskers, however, prop wagers on any game featuring Iowa college teams will be prohibited.  This includes the Hawkeyes and Cyclones.

Those wishing to place wagers online from Nebraska will either have to continue doing so from offshore sportsbooks or by traveling across state lines to Iowa.  Mobile betting via Iowa in-state operators is not likely until some time later in the season or post-Super Bowl 2020.

Ameristar is owned and operated by Penn National, one of the nation's largest gambling firms.

The Ameristar Bar & Grill has been converted to the new sportsbook, with wagering kiosks located throughout the property.

“Iowa is poised to become the first midwestern state to offer sports wagering since the federal ban was repealed last year,” Penn National CEO Timothy Wilmott said. “We appreciate the diligence of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission that will allow us to begin offering this great new amenity at Ameristar Casino Council Bluffs prior to the kickoff of football season.”

Nebraska lawmakers have yet to enter into the regulated sports betting fray.  As with most forms of gambling, individual states must amend their own laws now that the US Supreme Court has ruled in favor of sports gambling nationwide.  Not all states welcome gambling.  In fact, Utah does not even offer a state lottery.

- Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com