Nebraska football legend continues to stand in the way of online gambling

As the Nebraska football team prepares for the 2024 season, gamblers around the state and the country are getting ready for the season as well. Of course, has been the case in the state for the last few years, people who want to put money on college football in Nebraska have two choices.

They can either drive to a neigboring state like Iowa, or they can drive to the few casinos and racetracks inside Nebraska. What they can’t do is use the online gambling sites that people in so many other areas that have legalized sports gambling in the last few years.

That could change in the very near future thanks to the special session that kicked off last month in the Nebraska Legislature. However, for what feels like the 100th year in a row, there is one very loud voice standing against the tide and warning what he sees are the evils of sports gambling. Last week, former Nebraska football head coach Tom Osborne once again fought what he feels is the good fight.

There are several bills that would allow online sports gambling in Nebraska should they pass. LB13, LB6, LB32, and LR3CA (a constitutional amendment that would put the issue in front of the voters this fall) among others are all geared towards allowing online wagering.

That’s why Osborne once again came in opposition to the bills. He testified specifically about LR3CA. While advocates for these bills argue that Nebraska is missing out on massive amounts of tax revenue while pushing that revenue across the border, Osborne thinks there are untold costs.

“I can guarantee you there will be increased addiction and increased costs,” Osborne said.

However, Osborne’s arguments continue to be outdated. And they ignore reality. During the hearing for LR3CA, Danny DiRienzo of Geocomply, a company that provides geolocation security services, provided data showing the company has charted half a million bets placed just across the border in Iowa.

“That is very likely related to Nebraskans crossing the border to place a legal wager,” DiRienzo explained.

The former Nebraska football coach is also in the minority in this opinion. A recent poll conducted by the gaming industry indicates a public sentiment. It shows that 65 percetnt of respondents favored online sports wagering if it went towards property tax relief.

Tom Osborne was a hell of a football coach. He’s wrong on this.