A bill that would implement provisions of a constitutional gaming amendment approved in 2020 advanced from select file yesterday.
LB561, as introduced by Sen. Tom Briese of Albion, would provide the regulatory framework necessary to implement the voter-approved legalization of casino gambling in Nebraska.
Lawmakers rejected Briese’s attempt to strip out an amendment approved during the first round of debate that would allow individuals to play keno on an electronic ticket purchased at a licensed lottery operator using an app or debit card linked to a bank account.
The provision was intended to lessen the impact of casino gaming on the state’s keno industry.
Briese said some Nebraskans believe that allowing virtual keno would expand gaming beyond what voters intended… but his new amendment to remove that language failed by three votes.
He introduced a second amendment, adopted 39-0, that would require rule-making to be conducted under the Administrative Procedures Act rather than by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission.
