00:00All right, but let's get started here, Sam. Great to have you back here on Newswire. I know Nebraska, if I'm not mistaken, you're able to make bets at certain places in Nebraska, but they've been trying to fight to get things online now for a couple of years, and at least this is going to go to a vote, which tells me there could be a change coming next year, potentially.
00:16Yeah, Nebraska is one of 20 states that doesn't have online sports betting. It does have legal in-person sports betting, but that's limited to only a few of the state's casinos. So there's this one tribal group that this week came out and announced that they're going to start collecting signatures to bring this issue to the ballot next year.
00:37So it's this Native American group called the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. They own casinos in Lincoln and Omaha called the Workforce Casinos, and they really want to bring this online so it's not just legal in-person so they can get an app and join the other almost 40 states that have done online sports betting so far.
00:58Lawmakers estimate it would raise about $32 million in tax revenue, so there's a lot of support for it. Of course, there's always opposition against it. Folks are concerned about addiction issues, particularly with young men in the state.
01:12The tribe will start gathering signatures about next month or so, I'm told. They need $125,000 in order to bring it to the ballot because it's a constitutional amendment, which requires about 10% of signatures from all registered voters in the state.
01:28So it's going to start picking up over the next couple of months or so. The governor is in favor of online sports betting, which is always good for your prospects, but it's been the lawmakers in the state legislature where it's been held up.
01:40There was a push to legalize it last year, also via a constitutional amendment in the legislature. That bill passed the first committee, but because it's amending the state's constitution, it required two-thirds majority from the entire chamber, which it ultimately never got.
01:55It was filibustered by opponents and was not moved forward in the session. Now, that bill still is alive technically for next session. So there is also the option if it isn't legalized on the ballot via voter referendum, it could signal momentum moving forward in the state house as well.
02:14So we'll have to see what happens in Nebraska, but it's one of those few states right now where things are looking up if you're trending towards sports betting.
02:21There was about 4 million attempts last year in Nebraska to access legal sports books, according to GeoComply. So there's definitely an appetite for it in the state.
02:31The question now is just, can we get those signatures and can lawmakers finally get on board with it?
02:35So I hope you'll do the same thing.
02:40So if I get those signatures let me get this.
02:44So let's do that again.
02:46So let's give's your ability to confirm that you're from agents that have checked out from teams that have been reviewed by giving them six to a bunch of people.
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