NFA Opposes Sports Gambling Bills, “We Won’t Gamble Our Way Out of Our Property Tax Problem”

Nebraska Family Alliance

Today, Nebraska Family Alliance (NFA) helped lead opposition to a slate of sports gambling bills introduced during the Nebraska Legislature’s special session on property tax relief, including LB 13 and LR 3CA, which would legalize online sports gambling in Nebraska. 

Opponents at the committee hearing included NFA, Coach Tom Osborne, victims of predatory gambling, Gambling with the Good Life, and other concerned citizens. 

NFA Policy Director Nate Grasz testified at the committee hearing and gave the following statement: 

“Online sports gambling is the next public health crisis. We are not going to gamble our way out of our state’s property tax problem, not at the expense of our kids and not on the backs of our student-athletes.

In states with online sports gambling, 50% of gambling revenue comes from addicted gamblers, personal bankruptcies have risen 28%, and children are being exposed to harmful levels of aggressive advertising that is normalizing gambling for kids.

Gambling is the single most regressive, unreliable, and harmful form of revenue because it exploits the vulnerable, increases social costs, worsens state budgets, and hurts families. But gambling operators don’t pay for these harms; taxpayers do. That’s why if there’s any property tax relief to be found, it’s not here; only more broken promises and broken families.”