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While tax revenue collected from Nebraska casinos rose overall in June compared to May, Nebraska racetrack casinos WarHorse Casino in Lincoln and Grand Island Casino and Resort reported a dip in gross incomes.
June is typically a slow month for gambling, especially sports betting. However, state officials believe the numbers will be more revealing once sports betting comes to Omaha and other statewide casinos.
Denny Lee, the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission chairman, said he’s glad the state launched sports betting during a “non-peak sports season.” According to The Independent, Lee said: “In my view, kind of a real solid point of analysis is halfway through the college and pro football season.”
Nebraska collected $1.36 million in gambling taxes in June
The Nebraska State Racing and Gaming Commission reported that the state and local entities paid $1.36 million in total gambling taxes in June. The figure is 5.4% higher than $1.29 million in May but still lower than March ($1.55M) and April ($1.39M).
For the first six months of 2023, the state has collected nearly $8.2 million in gambling taxes.
Every month, 70% of the tax revenue goes to the state’s Property Tax Credit Cash Fund. The county with the racetrack gets 25%, and if the racetrack is located partially within a city or a village, the money gets split. The remaining 5% is split between the state’s general fund and the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund.
Nebraska’s June gaming tax mainly included two of the state’s six racetracks:
- WarHorse’ Lincoln’s total gaming tax received was $764,039, an 8% drop from May’s tax revenue submitted
- Grand Island Casino & Resort taxes collected were $414,337, almost a 10% monthly decrease from May
Columbus Casino, Caesars’ temporary gaming facility, opened June 12 at Platte County Ag Society Park. The casino contributed a little more than $179,000 in June gaming taxes.
June numbers reflect less than two weeks of sports betting
June numbers reflect the earnings from just nine days of sports betting at WarHorse Casino in Lincoln.
WarHorse Casino Lincoln, which opened last fall, launched sports betting on June 22. Currently, the casino is the only place in the state to accept legal sports bets. The state requires bets to be placed in person.
To launch the new sportsbook, WarHorse partnered with Kambi Group. At the casino opening, players could place bets at the sportsbook or any 10 kiosks offered. Aside from MLB and the NFL, the selection includes betting on other pro sports, like golf, tennis and college sports.
